"L  I  E>  R.AFLY 

OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY 
Of    ILLINOIS 

977.  31 
C93c 

v.  I 


ILLINOIS 


iu.ua 


Chicago:  Its  History 
and  Its  Builders 

A  CENTURY  OF  MARVELOUS  GROWTH 

BY 

J.  SEYMOUR  CURREY 

Honorary  Vice  President  Illinois  State  Historical  Society,  Vice  Presi- 
dent Cook  County  Historical  Society,  Member  Chicago  Histori- 
cal   Society,   American    Historical    Association,   Illinois 
State   Library   Association,   National    Geograph- 
ical Society,  Chicago  Geographic  Society. 


ILLUSTRATED 


VOLUME  I 


1912 

THE  S.  J.  CLARKE  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 
CHICAGO 


/1/L04A  . 


.  t 


1  1  ;     I  &0 


IT,  33  b  , 


icn  uitetmtlfetnriml  ^jrti 


r 


77T  A,  tj.g   b  ^  1. 


TTt  ,  3  / 


**     IC^i.  77 


XAJ 


(  0  f  , 


ht^ae    ^  u  v 


213096 


"The  domain  over  which  Chicago  holds  primacy  is  larger  than 
Austria-Hungary,  or  Germany,  or  France;  three  thousand  miles  of 
navigable  waters  form  a  portion  of  its  boundaries;  the  rivers  flow- 
ing into  the  Great  Lakes,  the  Mississippi,  and  the  Ohio,  give  access 
to  every  part  of  the  interior,  the  level  prairies  invite  the  railroad 
and  the  canal  builder;  the  large  portion  of  arable  land  makes  possi- 
ble the  support  of  an  enormous  population;  and  the  abundance  and 
range  of  the  products  of  earth  and  forest  furnish  the  materials  of 
traffic.  It  is  no  wonder,  therefore,  that  the  growth  of  the  Middle 
West  in  population  and  wealth  has  been  phenomenal;  and  that  at 
the  point  of  convenience  a  city  of  the  first  order  has  sprung  up." — • 
The  Chicago  Commercial  Club's  "Plan  of  Chicago." 


INTRODUCTION 


HERE  is  perhaps  nothing  which  so  clogs  and  hampers  a  historical  ac- 
count as  an  attempt  on  the  part  of  a  writer  to  mention  everything  in 
the  chain  of  events  which  spreads  out  like  a  panorama  to  his  gaze,  but 
which  if  treated  would  amount  to  a  mere  catalogue,  a  list  of  dates, 
"first  things,"  and  much  more  that  tends  to  distract  the  reader  and  ex- 
haust his  attention.  It  is  a  wise  man  who  can  discriminate  between  the  essen- 
tials and  the  merely  incidental  occurrences,  and  who  can  assign  the  due  propor- 
tion to  each.  Better  work  will  be  done  by  making  a  clear  presentation  of  fewer 
matters,  rather  than  a  diffused  account  of  many. 

As  the  French  say,  "the  secret  of  wearying  is  to  say  all,"  which,  if  indeed  it  is 
in  some  measure  accomplished,  results  in  a  compendium  of  tedious  prolixity.  "Any 
one  who  has  investigated  any  period,"  says  Rhodes,  "knows  how  the  same  facts 
are  told  over  and  over  again,  in  different  ways,  by  various  writers,"  and  among 
them  all  one  must  choose  from  the  mass  of  verbiage  and  make  condensations. 

Thucydides,  the  famous  Greek  historian,  wrote  a  history  of  the  Peloponnesian 
war  covering  a  period  of  twenty-four  years.  This  history  is  a  model  of  com- 
pressed narrative,  and  in  his  time  there  was  little  or  no  help  to  be  derived  from 
written  documents.  "Of  the  events  of  the  war,"  wrote  Thucydides,  "I  have  not 
ventured  to  speak  from  any  chance  information,  nor  according  to  any  notion  of 
my  own;  I  have  described  nothing  but  what  I  either  saw  myself,  or  learned  from 
others  of  whom  I  made  the  most  careful  and  particular  inquiry.  The  task  was  a 
laborious  one,  because  eye  witnesses  of  the  same  occurrences  gave  different  ac- 
counts of  them,  as  they  remembered  or  were  interested  in  the  actions  of  one  side 
or  the  other." 

Comparing  Thucydides  with  Tacitus,  Rhodes  says,  that  they  are  "superior  to 
the  historians  who  have  written  in  our  century,  because,  by  long  reflection  and 
studious  method,  they  have  better  digested  their  materials  and  compressed  their 
narrative.  Unity  in  narration  has  been  adhered  to  more  rigidly.  They  stick 
closer  to  their  subject.  They  are  not  allured  into  the  fascinating  bypaths  of  nar- 
ration, which  are  so  tempting  to  men  who  have  accumulated  a  mass  of  facts,  inci- 
dents, and  opinions." 

Criticising  a  historian  addicted  to  giving  a  multiplicity  of  details,  an  eminent 
writer  said  that  in  many  portions  of  his  too  elaborated  history  "he  describes  a 
large  number  of  events  about  which  no  sensible  man  can  in  the  least  care  either 
how  they  happened,  or  whether  indeed  they  happened  at  all  or  not."  We  live 
indeed  in  an  age  of  newspapers  and  magazines  when  not  only  great  events  but 
a  vast  "number  of  trivial  incidents  are  now  recorded,  and  this  dust  of  time  gets 
in  our  eves." 


vj  INTRODUCTION 

Perhaps  the  following  quotation  from  the  works  of  Sir  Thomas  Browne  may 
be  inserted  here  as  applicable  to  the  writer  who  would  instruct  his  readers  in 
historical  details.  "Bring  candid  eyes  unto  the  perusal  of  men's  works,"  says 
the  genial  old  philosopher,  "and  let  not  Detraction  blast  well-intended  labors.  He 
that  endureth  no  fault  in  men's  writings  must  only  read  his  own.  .  .  I  should 
unwillingly  affirm  that  Cicero  was  but  slightly  versed  in  Homer,  because  in  his 
work  'De  Gloria'  he  ascribed  those  verses  unto  Ajax,  which  were  delivered  by 
Hector.  .  .  Who  would  have  mean  thoughts  of  Appolinaris  Sidonius,  who 
seems  to  mistake  the  River  Tigris  for  Euphrates;  and  though  a  good  historian  and 
learned  bishop  of  Auvergne  had  the  misfortune  to  be  out  in  the  story  of  David, 
making  mention  of  him  when  the  Ark  was  sent  back  by  the  Philistines  upon  a 
cart;  which  was  before  his  time?  Though  I  have  no  great  opinion  of  Machiavel's 
learning,  yet  I  shall  not  presently  say  that  he  was  but  a  novice  in  Roman  history, 
because  he  was  mistaken  in  placing  Commodus  after  the  Emperor  Severus.  Capi- 
tal truths  are  to  be  narrowly  eyed,  collateral  lapses  and  circumstantial  deliveries 
not  to  be  too  strictly  sifted.  And  if  the  substantial  subject  be  well  forged  out, 
we  need  not  examine  the  sparks  which  irregularly  fly  from  it." 

The  historian  of  the  future  as  conceived  by  Mr.  James  F.  Rhodes,  one  of  the 
most  eminent  historians  of  the  present  day,  "will  write  his  history  from  the  orig- 
inal materials,  knowing  that  there  only  will  he  find  the  living  spirit;  but  he  will 
have  the  helps  of  the  modern  world.  He  will  have  at  his  hand  monographs  of 
students  whom  the  professors  of  history  in  our  colleges  are  teaching  with  dili- 
gence and  wisdom,  and  he  will  accept  these  aids  with  thankfulness  in  his  laborious 
search.  He  will  have  grasped  the  generalizations  and  methods  of  physical  science, 
but  he  must  know  to  the  bottom  his  Thucydides  and  Tacitus.  He  will  recognize  in 
Homer  and  Shakespeare  the  great  historians  of  human  nature,  and  he  will  ever 
attempt,  although  feeling  that  failure  is  certain,  to  wrest  from  them  their  secret 
of  narration,  to  acquire  their  art  of  portrayal  of  character.  He  must  be  a  man  of 
the  world,  but  equally  well  a  man  of  the  academy.  If,  like  Thucydides  and  Tacitus, 
the  American  historian  chooses  the  history  of  his  own  country  as  his  field,  he  may 
infuse  his  patriotism  into  his  narrative.  He  will  speak  of  the  broad  acres  and 
their  products,  the  splendid  industrial  development  due  to  the  capacity  and  en- 
ergy of  the  captains  of  industry ;  but  he  will  like  to  dwell  on  the  universities  and 
colleges,  on  the  great  numbers  seeking  a  higher  education,  on  the  morality  of  the 
people,  their  purity  of  life,  their  domestic  happiness.  He  will  never  be  weary  of 
referring  to  Washington  and  Lincoln,  feeling  that  a  country  with  such  exemplars 
is  indeed  one  to  awaken  envy,  and  he  will  not  forget  the  brave  souls  who  followed 
where  they  led." 

In  a  sketch  printed  in  one  of  the  useful  publications  issued  by  the  Chicago 
Association  of  Commerce,  the  writer,  Mr.  Richard  Henry  Little,  says:  "It  is  ex- 
tremely difficult  to  select  what  is  essential  to  even  an  approximately  thorough  de- 
scription [of  Chicago].  At  best  it  must  be  fragmentary,  and  whatever  is  written 
immeasurably  more  will  be  omitted. 

"The  first  great  charm  of  Chicago  is  undoubtedly  its  location.  Chicago  is  the 
only  one  of  the  world's  chief  cities  that  is  built  on  the  very  edge  of  a  large  body 
of  water.  The  spray  from  Lake  Michigan  at  times  is  carried  across  some  of  its 
boulevards  and  streets.  The  great  pride  of  Chicago  is  the  wonderful  panorama 


INTRODUCTION  vii 

of  the  city's  shore  line.     .     .     No  other  drive  presents  such  contrasts  of  city  and 
country,  of  land  and  sea." 

What  the  writer  says  in  the  paragraph  quoted  below,  while  intended  to  apply 
to  a  history  of  the  West  in  general,  is  likewise  applicable  to  the  portrayals,  scenes 
and  incidents  which  the  writer  of  this  history  has  attempted  to  depict  in  the  his- 
tory of  Chicago.  "A  hundred  years,"  says  Reuben  Gold  Thwaites,  the  well  known 
secretary  of  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Society,  "is  a  period  quite  long  enough  in 
our  land  to  warrant  the  brand  of  antiquity,  although  a  mere  nothing  in  the  pro- 
longed career  of  the  Old  World.  In  the  rapidly  developing  West,  a  hundred 
years  and  less  mark  the  gap  between  a  primeval  wilderness  and  a  complete  civili- 
zation. Time,  like  space,  is,  after  all,  but  comparative.  In  these  hundred  years 
the  Northwest  has  developed  from  nothing  to  everything.  It  is  as  great  a  period, 
judging  by  results,  as  ten  centuries  in  Europe, — perhaps  fifteen.  America  is  said 
to  have  no  history.  On  the  contrary,  it  has  the  most  romantic  of  histories;  but  it 
has  lived  faster  and  crowded  more  and  greater  deeds  into  the  past  hundred  years 
than  slow-going  Europe  in  the  last  ten  hundred." 

Why  should  the  citizen  read  history,  asks  a  recent  writer  and  critic  who  pro- 
ceeds to  make  some  sort  of  an  answer  to  his  own  question.  Readers  have  been  re- 
pelled by  the  sense  of  unreality,  in  that  histories  are  often  more  statistical  than 
constructive,  more  intent  upon  marshalling  facts  than  drawing  conclusions  for  the 
instruction  of  readers  and  guidance  in  their  own  public  and  private  affairs.  Books 
of  history  have  often  failed  to  make  the  average  reader  understand  how  much 
the  past  belongs  to  him,  and  how  necessary  it  is  that  he  refer  to  it  for  enlighten- 
ment as  well  as  entertainment. 

There  is,  however,  a  certain  inertia  in  some  readers  which  it  is  difficult  to 
overcome  and  which  defies  the  art  of  the  most  conscientious  historian.  Such  read- 
ers handicap  themselves  by  a  mistaken  notion  that  the  older  time  and  its  vicissi- 
tudes bear  no  application  to  their  own  experiences,  that  the  political  and  economic 
experiments  of  the  people  of  another  day  and  generation  do  not  correspond  to  those 
of  their  own,  and  hence  are  without  vital  interest.  Such  persons  give  no  ade- 
quate attention  to  the  past,  and  so  fail  to  arm  themselves  with  knowledge  against 
errors  to  which  all  men  are  prone  without  reference  to  time  or  place. 

Another  class  more  responsive  to  the  teachings  of  the  past  readily  supply  the 
reflective  sequences,  often  to  better  purpose  than  the  writer  himself  is  able  to  do. 
But  to  one  and  all  it  is  due  to  set  forth  in  clear  statement  what  the  writer  sees  in 
the  picture  he  is  examining,  and  to  bring  his  readers,  so  far  as  he  may  be  able, 
into  a  sympathetic  knowledge  of  the  life  and  events  that  he  is  attempting  to  depict. 

It  has  been  the  purpose  in  this  history  to  avoid  the  danger  of  saying  too  much, 
or  on  the  other  hand  attempting  to  make  a  general  compendium  which  says  too 
little  while  touching  upon  everything.  The  patience  of  readers  is  terribly  tried 
by  long  and  inconsequential  relations  which  do  no  more  than  fulfill  a  fancied  re- 
quirement that  no  event  within  the  view  of  the  historian  shall  be  omitted  to  be 
mentioned.  A  different  purpose  is  expressed  in  the  writings  of  Tacitus,  a  historian 
who  loved  to  generalize  on  his  work.  "This  I  regard  as  history's  highest  func- 
tion," he  wrote,  "to  let  no  worthy  action  be  uncommemorated,  and  to  hold  out  the 
reprobation  of  posterity  as  a  terror  to  evil  words  and  deeds."  To  this  we  may 
add  the  pregnant  words  of  Thucydides  on  the  same  subject.  "History  will  be 


viii  INTRODUCTION 

found  profitable  by  those  who  desire  an  exact  knowledge  of  the  past  as  a  key  to 
the  future,  which  in  all  human  probability  will  repeat  or  resemble  the  past." 

This  work  will  appear  with  as  few  references  to  authorities  as  possible.  It 
is  the  author's  observation  that  readers  usually  regard  references  at  the  foot  of  the 
page  more  of  a  hindrance  than  a  help.  In  the  earlier  chapters  of  the  work  foot 
notes  were  placed  before  the  force  of  this  objection  became  apparent,  but  such  as 
were  made  in  the  manuscript  are  allowed  to  stand.  In  the  later  portions,  however, 
the  authorities  are  usually  mentioned  in  the  text. 

The  placing  of  notes  at  the  foot  of  a  page,  other  than  reference  notes,  is  a 
literary  device  both  interesting  and  useful.  Notes  thus  placed  serve  to  complete 
a  statement,  or  supply  what  may  be  called  a  side-light; — matter  that  cannot  very 
well  find  a  place  in  the  main  body  of  the  text  without  deranging  the  course  of  the 
narrative  or  description  in  hand.  Then  again  the  device  is  a  convenient  one  for 
placing  in  a  contiguous  positions,  matter  or  information  which  has  come  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  writer  after  the  manuscript  has  been  prepared. 

In  the  matter  of  quotations  from  authorities  consulted  it  is  of  course  impossible 
to  write  a  history  without  quoting  largely  from  others.  Indeed  it  is  the  only  safe 
course  for  a  writer  to  pursue.  The  difficulty  comes  in  employing  the  exact  lan- 
guage of  one's  authority.  If  by  using  quotation  marks  a  passage  is  embodied,  one 
will  not  proceed  very  far  before  finding  that  the  passage  quoted  includes  some- 
thing that  is  not  quite  to  the  purpose,  but  having  begun  the  quotation  one  does 
not  feel  at  liberty  to  alter  the  language  used.  On  the  other  hand,  if  one  para- 
phrases he  will  fall  into  literal  quotation  throughout  entire  sentences  and  thus 
become  chargeable  with  plagiarism;  and  if  he  interpolates  the  necessary  explana- 
tions the  course  of  the  narrative  is  broken  and  the  reader's  interest  interrupted. 
Readers  usually  want  a  direct  statement  and  do  not  care  to  be  troubled  too  much 
with  sources,  relying  upon  the  writer  for  his  accuracy  in  stating  the  facts.  Thus 
a  compromise  has  to  be  adopted,  and  by  an  occasional  reference  in  the  text,  together 
with  a  few  necessary  foot  notes,  a  writer  may  escape  the  charge  of  borrowing,  which 
all  writers  are  especially  sensitive  about.  "Quotation  tends  to  choke  ordinary 
remark,"  says  George  Eliot;  "one  couldn't  carry  on  life  comfortably  without  a 
little  blindness  to  the  fact  that  everything  has  been  said  better  than  we  can  put 
it  ourselves ;"  and,  it  might  have  been  added,  "without  stopping  to  indicate  the 
source  of  everything  that  one  makes  use  of  in  the  presentation  of  his  subject." 

Many  of  the  old  writers,  who  enjoy  deservedly  high  reputations,  were  invet- 
erate borrowers.  A  conspicuous  instance  is  that  of  Burton,  who,  in  his  "Anatomy 
of  Melancholy,"  gathered  a  mass  of  quotations  from  all  known  writers  in  a  work 
which  is  the  wonder  of  all  subsequent  ages;  and  has  itself  become  a  perfect  mine 
from  which  later  writers  have  derived  material.  Beckford  said  of  Burton's  work 
that  "half  of  our  modern  books  have  been  decanted  from  it."  Indeed  quotation  and 
paraphrasing  are  much  more  difficult  than  direct  composition.  If  one's  task  is  to 
set  forth  his  own  views  on  a  subject,  or  to  write  a  work  of  fiction,  or  an  "improv- 
ing discourse,"  he  may  sit  down  at  his  ease  in  whatever  place  he  happens  to  be,  and 
never  mind  "authorities,"  or  "sources,"  or  books  of  reference.  Such  writing  may 
require  genius,  but  historical  writing  requires  hard  work. 

The  joy  and  satisfaction  experienced  in  dwelling  long  with  the  scenes  of  the 
past  is  not  the  least  of  the  pleasures  of  the  writer  of  history.  He  finds  the  pages 


INTRODUCTION  ix 

of  former  historians  light  up  and  gleam  with  the  subjects  of  his  own  narrative, 
even  while  finding,  as  he  constantly  does,  different  accounts  and  views,  affected  by 
the  opinions  and  temperaments  of  the  writers  of  identical  events,  persons  and  situ- 
ations. These  things  send  him  on  long  quests  among  other  writings  for  detail 
corroborative  of  one  view  or  the  other,  until  he  shall  become  satisfied  finally  with 
his  own  statements.  Perplexities  and  difficulties  are  encountered  often  enough,  but 
once  the  matters  are  set  forth  with  such  accuracy  as  can  be  attained,  and  in  as 
good  language  as  he  is  master  of,  the  writer  finishes  his  manuscript  pages,  and, 
like  Marquette  when  he  first  beheld  the  Mississippi,  gazes  upon  the  completed 
task  "with  a  joy  that  cannot  be  expressed." 

In  the  preparation  of  this  work  the  writer  has  been  greatly  assisted  by  his 
daughter,  Mrs.  Margery  Currey  Dell.  She  has  not  only  carefully  read  the  manu- 
script after  it  has  left  the  hands  of  the  writer,  but  has  also  fully  written  several 
chapters  as  well  as  indexed  the  entire  work.  The  chapters  referred  to  are  those 
on  Education,  Music  and  Drama,  the  Chicago  Fire,  the  Iroquois  Fire,  the  Art  In- 
stitute, besides  many  paragraphs  throughout  the  work.  Mr.  Floyd  Dell,  the  literary 
editor  of  the  Chicago  Evening  Post,  has  contributed  the  chapters  on  the  Haymarket 
Riots,  which  the  writer  believes  have  been  well  done  and  adds  materially  to  the 
value  of  this  work. 

Acknowledgments  are  due  to  Frank  W.  Smith,  cashier  of  The  Corn  Exchange 
National  Bank;  Hon.  Orrin  N.  Carter,  Chief  Justice  of  the  Illinois  Supreme  Court; 
Frank  R.  Grover,  Vice-P resident  Evanston  Historical  Society;  Miss  Caroline  M. 
Mcllvaine,  Librarian  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society;  Mr.  Samuel  H.  Kerfoot, 
Jr. ;  Mr.  Walter  K.  Lincoln,  Attorney ;  Mrs.  Nellie  Kinzie  Gordon,  Savannah, 
Georgia;  Judge  Robert  M.  Douglas,  Greensboro,  North  Carolina;  Isham  Randolph, 
Consulting  Engineer  of  the  Sanitary  District  of  Chicago;  Mr.  George  H.  Fergus; 
Mr.  William  J.  Onahan;  Dr.  Cornelia  B.  DeBey;  Mr.  George  P.  Upton;  Hon. 
Jesse  Holdom;  Mr.  Francis  A.  Eastman,  City  Statistician;  Thomas  E.  Wilder, 
Elmhurst;  Professor  Elias  Colbert;  Mr.  Reuben  Gold  Thwaites,  of  the  State  His- 
torical Society  of  Wisconsin;  Miss  Louise  Phelps  Kellogg,  of  the  same  institution; 
Mrs.  Jessie  Palmer  Weber,  of  the  Illinois  State  Historical  Society;  Professor  Evarts 
B.  Greene,  of  the  University  of  Illinois;  President  Edmund  J.  James,  of  the  same 
institution;  Carl  B.  Roden,  of  the  Chicago  Public  Library;  Miss  Flora  N.  Hay, 
reference  librarian  at  the  Evanston  Public  Library;  Mr.  William  Grinton,  Joliet; 
Mr.  John  F.  Steward;  Charles  P.  Pettus,  of  ihe  Missouri  Historical  Society; 
Mrs.  Lydia  J.  Dale,  Boston,  Massachusetts;  Edwin  F.  Brown,  President  Monroe 
National  Bank;  Professor  John  F.  Hayford,  of  the  Northwestern  University;  Mr. 
M.  J.  Clay;  Horace  S.  Baker,  Assistant  City  Engineer;  Professor  Henry  J.  Cox, 
of  the  United  States  Weather  Bureau;  Mr.  W.  J.  C.  Kenyon;  Major  Thomas  H. 
Rees,  United  States  Army;  Mr.  Robert  J.  Bennett;  Dr.  William  H.  Stennett;  Mr. 
Aaron  M.  McKay;  Mrs.  Rufus  Blanchard;  Mr.  H.  N.  Higinbotham;  Mr.  Jules  G. 
Lumbard;  Mrs.  Frank  Lumbard;  Professor  George  L.  Scherger,  of  Armour  Insti- 
tute; Mrs.  William  S.  Greene,  Alexandria,  Virginia,  Mr.  E.  W.  Blatchford,  Mr. 
J.  D.  Sherman,  Mr.  George  A.  Schilling,  and  Mr.  Charles  T.  Hallinan. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I 

PERIOD  OF  DISCOVERY 

^      IX 

EARLIEST    RECORD    OF     CHICAGO— CHICAGO     HISTORY    BEGINS     WITH     JOLIET     AND     MAK- 

QUETTE'S  VOYAGE  OF  1673 — EARLIER  VOYAGE  TOWARD  MISSISSIPPI — APPOINTMENT 

OF  JOLIET  AND  MARQUETTE  TO  JOURNEY  DOWN  THE  RIVER— THEIR  PREPARATIONS— 
THEIR  TRIP— ENTERING  THE  MISSISSIPPI— EXPERjESCES-ALONO  THE  WAY— MEET- 
ING WITH  INDIANS— THE  ILLINOIS  PROVE  FRIENDLY THE  JOURNEY  RESUMED— IN- 
DIANS WARN  EXPLORERS  AGAINST  APPROACHING  MOUTH  OF  THE  EIVER— DECISION 
TO  RETURN  UP  THE  RIVER— LANDMARKS  PASSED— LEAVE  THE  MISSISSIPPI  TO  GO  UP 

ILLINOIS    RIVER SITE     OF     CHICAGO    VISITED GREEN     BAY     REACHED     AND     VOYAGE 

ENDED JOLIET     THE     LEADER      


CHAPTER  II 

FRENCH   DOMINATION— 1671 

INCREASE  IN  FRENCH  TERRITORY— MARQUETTfi's  SECOND  JOURNEY  TO  ILLINOIS  COUN- 
TRY  WINTER  QUARTERS  OF  MARQUETTE AT  KASKASKIA DEATH  OF  FATHER  MAR- 
QUETTE  FATHER  ALLOUEZ  A  MISSIONARY  TO  INDIANS COMING  OF  LA  SALLE 

TONTY PREPARATIONS     FOR      JOURNEY HARDSHIPS     ENCOUNTERED FORT      CREVE- 

COEUR  ESTABLISHED LA   SALLE   RETURNS  TO   CANADA TONTY  FORCED  OUT   OF   ILLI- 
NOIS   COUNTRY LA    SALLE    RETURNS    WITH    SUPPLIES EXPLORES    THE    MISSISSIPPI 

GOES  IN    SEARCH    OF    TONTY THE    EXPLORERS    MEET A    THIRD    START    MADE GULF 

OF    MEXICO    REACHED FORT     ST.    LOUIS    ESTABLISHED LA    SALLE     AT    CHICAGO HIS 

APPEAL   TO    FRENCH    COURT TONTY    FINDS    A   FORT    AT    CHICAGO LA    SALLE    COMES 

FROM    FRANCE DEATH    OF   LA    SALLE— TONTY   IN    SEARCH   OF    LA    SALLE THE    FATE 

12 
OF    TONTY HISTORICAL    AUTHORITIES     


CHAPTER  III 

CHICAGO  IN  THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 

ORIGIN     OF    NAME     CHICAGO DISPUTED    SOURCES— ESTABLISHMENT     OF    MISSIONS     ABOUT 

CHICAGO CHICAGO      PORTAGE      FALLS      INTO      DISUSE CAUSES      OF      DISUSE BRITISH 

SOVEREIGNTY     OVER     WESTERN      COUNTRY AMERICAN      CONTROL      OF      NORTHWEST- 
GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK NORTHWEST  TERRITORY  FORMALLY   ORGANIZED-rj-ORDINANCE 

OF    1787 TREATY    OF    GREENVILLE "SIX    MILE    SQUARE"    TRACT THE    BATTLE    OF 

SOUTH      CHICAGO THE     SPANISH      IN      ILLINOIS EARLY     SETTLERS ABOUT     MAPS 

•Q 
AMERICAN    ABORIGINES INDIAN    TRAITS SUMMARY     

xi 


xii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  IV 

CHICAGO  FROM  1803  TO  1812 

SIGNIFICANCE   AND  RESULTS   OF   LOUISIANA   PURCHASE PROPOSED    PtiHT   ON    LAKE   MICHI- 
GAN  FORT    ORDERED    AT     CteTCAGO ARRIVAL     OF    THE     GARRISON DESCRIPTION     OF 

FORT  DEARBORN CAPTAIN  WHISTLER GENERAL  DEARBORN JOHN  KI.NZIJi's  AR- 
RIVAL AT  CHICAGO THE  AFFAIR  WITH  LALIME THE  KINGSBURY  PAPERS VOY- 

AGEUHS SUMMARY  OF  EVENTS  AND  CONDITIONS  UNJIL   1812 WESTERN  EMIGRATION 

— ILLINOIS  TERRITORY CHICAGO  FROM  1803  TO  1812 WAR  OF  1812  FORESHAD- 
OWED  CAPTAIN  HEALD  AT  FORT  DEARBORN MARRIAGE  OF  CAPTAIN  HEALD— 

CAPTAIN     WILLIAM    WELLS INDIANS     ATTACK     HARDSCRABBLE     54 

CHAPTER  V 

FORT  DEARBORN  MASSACRE 

DANGER  THREATENING  FORT  DEARBORN ORDERS  RECEIVED  TO  EVACUATE  THE  FORT 

PREPARATIONS  FOR  DEPARTURE ARRIVAL  OF  CAPTAIN  WILLIAM  WELLS— DE- 
PARTURE FROM  THE  FORT— ATTACK  BY  THE  INDIANS MASSACRE DEATH  OF 

CAPTAIN  WELLS,  ENSIGN  RONAN,  DR.  VAN  VOORHIS SURRENDER  OF  CAPTAIN  HEALD 

ESCAPE    OF    KINZIE    FAMILY SERGEANT    GRIFFITH'S    ADVENTURE STORY    OF 

JOHN    COOPER'S    FAMILY — VENGEANCE    TAKEN — KINZIES    LEAVE    CHICAGO — JOHN 

KINZIE  AS  PRISONER  OF  WAR CAPTAIN  HEALD's  ORDERS CONDITIONS  IN  ILLINOIS 

TERRITORY    77 

CHAPTER  VI 

REBUILDING  OF  FORT  DEARBORN 

INDIAN      TREATIES THE      "INDIAN      BOUNDARY      LINE"     TREATY BUILDING     OF     SECOND 

FORT    DEARBORN THE     COMING    OF     THE     BEAUBIEN     FAMILY -GURDON    S.     HUBBARD 

HUBBARD    AT    MACKINAC HIS    FIRST    ARRIVAL    IN    CHICAGO LIFE    AS    A    TRADER 

PROMOTION PERMANENT    RESIDENCE    IN    CHICAGO — STORROw's    VISIT    TO    THE    WEST 

JOURNEY  FROM  DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO STORROw's  OPINIONS  OF  CHICAGO RE- 
TURN TO  THE  EAST UNITED  STATES  TRADING  HOUSES CAUSES  FOR  THEIR  FAIL- 
URE— CLOSING  OF  "FACTORIES" — FACTORY  AT  CHICAGO — NORTHERN  BOUNDARY 

OF  ILLINOIS ORIGINAL  PROVISIONS  OF  ORDINANCE  OF  1787 RESULTS  OF  AMEND- 
MENT OF  ENABING  ACT POPE'S  FORESIGHT SKETCH  OF  POPE  98 

CHAPTER  VII 

EARLY  VISITORS  AND  RESIDENTS 

VIEW      OF     EARLY      CHICAGO ALEXANDER      ROBINSON BILLY      CALDWELL SHABBONA 

JOHN    KINZIE    CLARK THE    CLYBOURNS JAMES    GALLOWAY -DR.    ALEXANDER    WOL- 


CONTENTS  xiii 

COTT OTHER     RESIDENTS MAJOR     STEPHEN      H.      LONG SCHOOLCRAFT's     VISIT     TO 

CHICAGO C.  C.  TROWBRIDGE EBENEZER  CHILDS FONDA  AT  CHICAGO MAIL  CAR- 
RIERS OF  THE  EARLY  DAY MAIL  ROUTES ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  U.  S.  POST  OF- 
FICE  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE  121 

CHAPTER  VIII 

NATURAL  FEATURES  OF  CHICAGO     (_ 

PHYSICAL  FEATURES  OF  LAKE  MICHIGAN FLUCTUATIONS  OF  THE  LAKE  LEVEL TIDES 

IN  THE  LAKE SUDDEN  AND  GRADUAL  FLUCTUATIONS OPENING  OF  THE  SANITARY 

CANAL CLIMATIC   EFFECT   OF   THE    LAKES ALTITUDE    OF   THE    LAKE    SURFACE 

NATURAL  HISTORY  OF  LAKE  MICHIGAN THE  FISH  OF  THE  LAKE GULLS  AND  TERNS 

BIRDS  OF  PASSAGE ASPECT  OF  THE  LAKE VISIBILITY  OF  THE  MICHIGAN  SHORE 

"BALD  TOM" — TRIANGULATION  SURVEYS  OVER  LAKE  MICHIGAN — MIRAGES  AND  LOOM- 
INGS DRAINING  LAKE  MICHIGAN PICTURESQUE  VALUE  OF  THE  LAKE PRAIRIES  OF 

ILLINOIS ASPECT  OF  THE  PRAIRIES EARLY  OPINIONS  REGARDING  THE  PRAIRIES 

CHICAGO'S  LOCATION — CLEAVER'S  OBSERVATIONS — TOPOGRAPHY  OF  THE  PRAIRIES — 

A   DESCRIPTION CLIMATE    OF    CHICAGO PREVAILING   WINDS WIND    VELOCITIES 

THUNDERSTORMS RAIN  AND  SNOW  FALLS MEAN  TEMPERATURES GENERAL  OB- 
SERVATIONS   142 


CHAPTER  IX 

WINNEBAGO  WAR— BEGINNINGS  OF  CHICAGO'S  GROWTH 

WINNEBAGO     INDIANS- — CAUSES     OF     THE     WAR THE     NEWS     REACHES     CHICAGO MEAS- 
URES     TAKEN      FOR      PROTECTION HUBBARD's      RIDE TREATY REOCCUPATION      OF 

FORT    DEARBORN- — JEFFERSON    DAVIS*    FIRST    VISIT    TO    CHICAGO HIS    LATER    VISIT 

ORDER    OF    COUNTY    ORGANIZATIONS COUNTIES    OF     INDIANA    TERRITORY COUNTIES 

OF     ILLINOIS     TERRITORY COUNTIES     OF     THE     STATE     OF     ILLINOIS EVOLUTION     OF 

COOK      COUNTY EARLY      COUNTY      RECORDS FURTHER      COUNTY      CHANGES JURIS- 
DICTION     OF      PEORIA      COUNTY COOK      COUNTY SKETCH      OF      DANIEL      P.      COOK 

COMPARISON    OF    COOK    AND    POPE CHICAGO    IN    1835 NARRATIVE    OF    PETER   VIEAU 

SECOND      GENERATION      OF      THE      KINZIE      FAMILY "WAU-BUN" NELLY      KINZIE 

GORDON       166 

CHAPTER  X 

THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR 

BLACK     HAWK     WAR EVENTS     LEADING     TO     WAR CAMPAIGN     OF     1831 BLACK     HAWK 

VIOLATES    TREATY CAMPAIGN     OF     1832 STILLMAN's    DEFEAT PREPARATIONS    FOR 

WAR INCIDENTS    OF    THE    WAR WAR    CARRIED    INTO    WISCONSIN GENERAL    HENRY 

PURSUES   BLACK   HAWK FLIGHT   AND    CAPTURE    OF   BLACK    HAWK SUMMARY  OF  THE 


xiv  CONTENTS 


WAR WAK   EXCITEMENT    AT    CHICAGO COLONEL    OWEN  S    ACTION EXPERIENCES    OF 

FUGITIVES CHOLERA      PESTILENCE GENERAL      SCOTT's     DIFFICULTIES ABATEMENT 

OF  THE  CHOLERA HISTORIES   OF  THE   SAUK   WAR STEVEN'S  HISTORY BLACK   HAWK 

AT    WASHINGTON      . 185 


CHAPTER  XI 

INDIAN  REMOVAL— ILLINOIS  AND  MICHIGAN  CANAL 

CHARACTER    OF    SAVAGES— EARLY    TREATIES TREATY    OF    CHICAGO THE    ENCAMPMENT 

SIGNING  OF  THE  TREATY PROVISIONS  OF  THE  TREATY REMOVAL  OF  THE  IN- 
DIANS  WHARFING  PRIVILEGES ILLINOIS  AXD  MICHIGAN  CANAL FEASIBILITY  OF 

A  CANAL CANAL  IDEA  IN  THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY EASTERN  OPINION  REGARD- 
ING THE  CANAL STATE  LEGISLATION- — FINANCING  THE  WORK CHICAGO  JOY- 
FULLY ANTICIPATES  THE  CANAL MEETINGS  OF  CITIZENS  AT  CHICAGO WORK  IS- 

BEGUN PROGRESS  OF  THE  WORK MAGNITUDE  OF  THE  UNDERTAKING DIFFI- 
CULTIES SURMOUNTED WORK  RESUMED  UNDER  A  TRUSTEESHIP FINANCIAL  CON- 
DITION OF  THE  CANAL  IN  1843 COMPLETION  OF  THE  CANAL THE  ERIE  CANAL 

OF    NEW    YORK M'cOWAN's    NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    CANAL 201 


CHAPTER  XII 

GROWTH  OF  CHICAGO  DURING  THE  THIRTIES 

CHICAGO  INCORPORATED  AS  A  TOWN LIMITS  OF  THE  TOWN  EXTENDED FUNCTIONS  OF 

COUNTY  AND  TOWN  GOVERNMENT LAST  YEAR  OF  TOWN  GOVERNMENT CHICAGO 

INCORPORATED   AS   A   CITY PROVISIONS   OF   THE   CHARTER FIRST   CITY  ELECTION 

AND  CENSUS CHART  OF  EVENTS THE  TWO  INCORPORATIONS PURPOSES  OF  A  CITY 

CHARTER EARLY  SYSTEM  OF  SURVEYS TOWNSHIP  SYSTEM  OF  SURVEYS TOWNSHIPS 

AND  SECTIONS FIRST  PLAT  OF  CHICAGO INTERESTING  FEATURES  OF  THE  PLAT 

SALES  OF  LOTS  IN  THE  NEW  SUBDIVISION CONDITIONS  AT  TIME  OF  SALE CHART  OF 

LOTS VALUES    OF    PROPERTY EARLY    STREET    NAMES CONTEMPORARY    EVENTS 

CANAL  COMMISSIONERS  AND  CANAL  TRUSTEES WINTER  OF  THE  DEEP  SNOW SUF- 
FERINGS IN  THE  WINTER  SEASON TRAGEDIES  OF  THE  COLD WINTER  ADVENTURES 

— HOFFMAN'S  VISIT  TO  CHICAGO — WINTER  SPORTS  IN  CHICAGO — A  WOLF  HUNT — A 

WOLF  DRIVE INCREASED   COMMERCIAL  ACTIVITIES  IN  THE   THIRTIES BEGINNING 

OF  THE  SPECULATIVE  MANIA CAUSES  OF  ADVANCE  IN  VALUES CONDITIONS  IN  1836 

SPECULATION  FEVER GROWTH  OF  THE  CITY  CHECKED WILD  CAT  CURRENCY 

VARIOUS  SCHEMES  OF  INFLATION CAUSES  OF  THE  PANIC THE  PANIC  IN  CHICAGO 

EXTERNAL   ASPECT   OF   THE    CITY LAKE   HOUSE   AND  TREMONT   HOUSE FIRES 

STAGE  ROADS  TO  THE  EAST TAVERNS  ON  THE  ROAD STAGE  ROADS  TO  THE  NORTH 

STAGE  ROADS  TO  THE  WEST SOCIETY  OF  THE  EARLY  DAYS    221 


CONTENTS  xv 

CHAPTER  XIII 

ERA  OF  INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS 

RAILROAD     BUILDING RAPID     INCREASE     IN     POPULATION PEOPLE     ENTHUSIASTIC     OVER 

INTERNAL      IMPROVEMENTS LEGISLATURE       OF       1836 THE       PERSONNEL      OF      THE 

LEGISLATURE LEGISLATIVE       TACTICS THE       "LONG      NINE" AN       IMMENSE      DEBT 

INCURRED THE     PANIC     OF     1837 THE     CHICAGO     HARBOR' LIGHTHOUSE     AT     CHI- 
CAGO  THE      FORERUNNER     OF      THE      CHICAGO     &      NORTH-WESTERN      RAILWAY THE 

GALENA      &      CHICAGO      UNION      RAILROAD STRAP      RAILS      USED THE      "PIONEER" 

DEPOT     ON      THE      WEST     SIDE IMPROVEMENTS     AND      EXTENSIONS DEPOT      ON      THE 

NORTH     SIDE EXTENSIONS    TO     THE     MISSOURI     RIVER THROUGH     TRAINS     TO     MIL- 
WAUKEE  SUBURBAN    SERVICE THE    GREAT    CONSOLIDATION END    OF    THE    GALENA 

&    CHICAGO    UNION NAME    OF    CHICAGO    &    NORTH-WESTERN    ADOPTED PRIVILEGES 

OF      COMMON      AND      PREFERRED      STOCK VARIOUS      EXTENSIONS CHANGES      IN      THE 

PRESIDENCY PROGRESS       DURING       TEN       YEARS FURTHER       IMPORTANT       EVENTS 

LATER       IMPROVEMENTS REVIEW        OF,       FORTY       YEARS       OF        GROWTH THE        NEW 

TERMINAL -ADMINISTRATION     OF     THE     ROAD      .  252 


CHAPTER  XIV 

EDUCATION   IN  CHICAGO 

PROVISIONS  OF  THE  ORDINANCE  OF   1787 GOVERNMENT'S  DUTY  TO  PROVIDE  EDUCATION — 

SCHOOL    SECTION    IN    EVERY    TOWNSHIP SOURCES    OF     INCOME    FOR    SCHOOLS FIRST 

SCHOOLS    IN    CHICAGO JOHN    WATKINS    AS    TEACHER SCHOOL    OPENED    NEAR    FORT 

DEARBORN PRIMITIVE     ACCOMMODATIONS ELISA     CHAPPEL     FIRST     PUBLIC     SCHOOL 

TEACHER SPHOAT'S  SCHOOL    FOR  BOYS SALE   OF   SCHOOL    LANDS SCHOOL  DISTRICTS 

FORMED BOARD  OF  INSPECTORS  ELECTED IMPROVEMENTS  IN  SCHOOL  MANAGE- 
MENT SUGGESTED ORDER  AND  SYSTEM  INTRODUCED RULES  ADOPTED SCHOOL  TAX 

LEVIED INSTRUCTION  IN  VOCAL  MUSIC FRANK  LUMBARD  FIRST  TEACHER  OF  VO- 
CAL MUSIC FIRST  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  BUILDING "MILTIMORE's  FOLLY" ADDITIONAL 

BUILDINGS    NEEDED THE    SCAMMON    SCHOOL THE    JONES    SCHOOL PROGRESS    MADE 

IN     TEN     YEARS MISS     CATHARINE     BEECHER's    WORK WOMEN    TEACHERS     BROUGHT 

FROM  THE  EAST HARDSHIPS  OF  TEACHERS  IN  COUNTRY  DISTRICTS MISS  BURNS*  EX- 
PERIENCE  MOVEMENT  TO  ESTABLISH  HIGH  SCHOOLS OFFICE  OF  SCHOOL  SUPERIN- 
TENDENT CREATED JOHN  C.  DORE  FIRST  SUPERINTENDENT WILLIAM  H.  WELLS 

SECOND  SUPERINTENDENT HIGH  SCHOOL  BUILDING  ERECTED OVERCROWDED  CON- 
DITION OF  SCHOOLS GEORGE  HOWLAND  BECOMES  SUPERINTENDENT 276 


CHAPTER  XV 

EDUCATION  IN  CHICAGO— (CONTINUED) 

OVERCROWDED      CONDITION      OF      THE      SCHOOLS GRADED      INSTRUCTION      INTRODUCED 

PROGRESSIVE     POLICY    OF     SUPERINTENDENT     WELLS SEPARATE     SCHOOLS     FOR     COL- 
ORED   CHILDREN JOSIAH    L.    PICKARD    BECOMES    SUPERINTENDENT    IN    1865 STUDY 


xvi  CONTENTS 


OF     GERMAN     DECIDED     UPON EVENING     SCHOOLS CORPORAL     PUNISHMENT     ABOL- 
ISHED  SCHOOLS     FOR     THE      DEAF EFFECTS      OF      THE      GREAT      FIRE CHANGES      IN 

MANNER    OF     APPOINTMENT     OF     MEMBERS     OF     THE     BOARD DUANE     DOTY     BECOMES 

SUPERINTENDENT MANUAL    TRAINING    AND    DOMESTIC    SCIENCE GROWTH    OF    HIGH 

SCHOOLS COMMERCIAL     COURSES     IN      HIGH     SCHOOLS PRESIDENT     JAMES*     VIEWS 

HIGH        SCHOOL        ATHLETICS KINDERGARTENS BENEFITS        FROM        KINDERGARTEN 

CLASSES NATIONAL   HOLIDAYS   RECOGNIZED   BY  SCHOOL   BOARD FIRST   WOMAN    MEM- 
BER    OF     BOARD     OF     EDUCATION ALBERT     G.     LANE     BECOMES     SUPERINTENDENT     IN 

1890 MORE     SCHOOL     BUILDINGS     REQUIRED NORMAL     SCHOOL COLONEL     FRANCIS 

W.     PARKER NORMAL     COURSE      LENGTHENED BUILDING     FOR     NORMAL     SCHOOL 

LAWSUIT    TO    PREVENT    ERECTION    OF    BUILDING MRS.    ELLA    FLAGG   YOUNG    BECOMES 

PRINCIPAL     OF     NORMAL     SCHOOL NORMAL     EXTENSION     WORK— WAR     ON     "FADs"- 

INSTRUCTION    FOR   THE    BLIND SUBNORMAL    PUPILS .  .295 


CHAPTER  XVI 

MEN  OF  THE  THIRTIES— JOHN  WENTWORTH,  AND  OTHERS 

SOME      OLD      DIRECTORIES DIRECTORY      OF      1839 INTERESTING      NAMES GLIMPSES      OP 

PIONEER    RESIDENTS DIRECTORY    OF     1843 JOHN    WENTWORTH ARRIVAL    IN     CHI- 
CAGO— WENTWORTH'S  civic  CAREER — BECOMES  PROPRIETOR  op  THE  "DEMOCRAT" — 

ELECTED     MEMBER     OF     CONGRESS MAYOR     OF      CHICAGO ENTERTAINS     PRINCE      OF 

WALES    IN     1860 WENTWORTH    INVESTS    IN    LAND    AT    SUMMIT HUMOROUS    EPISODES 

IN    HIS    CAREER RINGING    WAR    TIME    PROCLAMATION REPLY    TO    VALLANDIGHAM 

WENTWORTH   A    GREAT    FIGURE    IN    THE    HISTORY    OF    CHICAGO CONTEMPORARY    ESTI- 
MATES  WILLIAM      B.      OGDEN ELECTED      FIRST      MAYOR      OF      CHICAGO BECOMES      A 

RAILWAY    MAGNATE DIARY   OF    WALTER    BROWN    IN    1844 IMPRESSIONS    OF    A    TRAV- 
ELER    FROM     MAINE CONDITIONS     IN     CHICAGO LUTHER     NICHOLS     .       314 


CHAPTER  XVII 

PROPHECIES  AND   REALITY— NEWBERRY  LIBRARY,  ETC. 

PROPHECIES  OF  THE  COMMERCIAL  GREATNESS  OF  THE  WEST BALESTIER's  PROPHECY 

JEREMIAH    PORTER'S    ADDRESS — A    BOSTON    PROPHECY    OF    CHICAGO'S    POPULATION 

MADE    IN    1868 POPULATION    GIVEN    BY    DECADES    SINCE    1860 JUDGE    SMITH'S 

PROPHECY   OF   POPULATION THE    NEWBERRY8 OLIVER   NEWBERRY NEWBERRY    & 

DOLE WALTER  L.  NEWBERRY— A  PATRON   OF  ART  AND  A  LIBERAL   CONTRIBUTOR 

TO    BOOK    COLLECTIONS HIS    DEATH    AT    SEA HIS    SPLENDID    PROVISION    FOR    A 

"PUBLIC"  LIBRARY THE  NEWBERRY  LIBRARY LAKE  STREET  IN  THE  FIFTIES  AND 

SIXTIES OLD    TIME    BUSINESS    FIRMS THE    PRINCE    OF    WALES*    VISIT CHOLERA 

VISITATIONS MORTALITY  AMONG  THE  TROOPS  OF  GENERAL  SCOTT's  ARMY VISITA- 
TION OF  1849 — THE  "GREAT  CHOLERA  YEAR"  OF  1854 — LAST  APPEARANCE  IN  1866 


CONTENTS  xvii 

SKETCHES  OF(  CHARLES  B.   FARWELL  AND   JOHN   V.   FARWELL THE  TEXAS  CAPITOL 

BUILT   BY   THE    FARWELLS THE    TEXAS    PANHANDLE    LANDS SKETCH    OF    MARSHALL 

FIELD- — -HIS    GREAT    SUCCESS    AS    A    MERCHANT A    LETTER    WRITTEN    BY    FIELD HIS 

IMMENSE        ESTATE THE        PROVISION       FOR       THE       MUSEUM LANGUAGE       OF        THE 

BEQUEST     ,          .  .  333 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

RIVER  AND   HARBOR   CONVENTION— NEWSPAPERS,  ETC. 

ECONOMIC  CONDITIONS  IN  1847 NEEDS  OF  THE  CHICAGO  HARBOR NATIONAL  CON- 
DITIONS-— ENGINEERING  DIFFICULTIES COMMERCE  OF  CHICAGO  IN  THE  FORTIES- 
FIRST  STEPS  IN  PROMOTING  THE  CONVENTION ENTHUSIASTIC  SUPPORT  GAINED 

PRESIDENT   FOLK'S  ACTION   CONDEMNED— EDITORIAL   VIEWS CONVENTION   DETAILS 

PLANNED THE    ADDRESS   TO   THE   PUBLIC ASSEMBLING   OF   THE    CONVENTION 

HORACE   GREELEY'S   SPIRITED   ACCOUNT — CONVENTION    IN   SESSION   THREE   DAYS — 

DEMANDS   FORMULATED DANIEL  WEBSTER'S   LETTER MR.   LINCOLN'S  FIRST  VISIT 

TO  CHICAGO — GREELEY'S  REFERENCE  TO  LINCOLN — RESULTS  OF  THE  CONVENTION 

FLOOD  OF   1849 ICE  AND  WRECKAGE  IN  THE  RIVER SCENES  OF  DESTRUCTION 

— CONTEMPORARY    ACCOUNTS ALL    BRIDGES    SWEPT    AWAY BEGINNING    OF    THE 

CHICAGO  TRIBUNE THE  DEMOCRATIC  PRESS THE  PRESS  AND  TRIBUNE AN  OLDER 

PAPER  OF  THAT  NAME LATER  HISTORY  OF  THE  TRIB"UNE STORY  OF  DAVID  KEN- 

NISON — LOSSING'S  ACCOUNT — MEMBER  OF  THE  BOSTON  "TEA  PARTY" — FOUGHT  AT 

BUNKER  HILL COMES  TO  CHICAGO  IN  1842,  THEN  OVER  A  HUNDRED  YEARS  OLD 

A  HERO  OF  THE  FIRST  AND  SECOND  WARS  OF  INDEPENDENCE 353 


CHAPTER  XIX 

RELIGIOUS  HISTORY 

RELIGIOUS   LIFE   IN   THE   EARLY   DAYS FIRST  SERMON    PREACHED   IN   CHICAGO THE 

CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  CHICAGO ST.  MARY's  CHURCH  ORGANIZED DEDICATION  OF 

FIRST    ST.    MARY'S — THE    EARLY    MISSIONARIES — ST.    MARY'S    JUBILEE — CATHOLIC 

ACTIVITIES MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  MARY's THE  PAULIST  FATHERS THE  LAETARE 

MEDAL- — FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH DEDICATION   ADDRESS GOING   TO   CHURCH 

IN    1834 PROGRESS  OF  THE   PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH FIRST  BAPTIST   CHURCH 

THE  METHODIST  CHURCH EARLY  EDIFICES METHODIST  CHURCH  BLOCK PASTORS 

OF  THE   FIRST  METHODIST  CHURCH DIAMOND  JUBILEE   OF   THE   FIRST  CHURCH 

THE     NORTHWESTERN     CHRISTIAN     ADVOCATE- EDITORS     OF    THE     ADVOCATE ST. 

JAMES     EPISCOPAL     CHURCH BISHOP    PHILANDER     CHASE REFORMED     EPISCOPAL 

CHURCH FIRST  UNITARIAN  CHURCH CHURCH  OF  THE  NEW  JERUSALEM JEWISH 

CONGREGATIONS A.   D.    FIELD'S   RECOLLECTIONS PIONEER    PREACHING 375 


xviii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XX 

SLAVERY  ISSUES  IN  CHICAGO 

SLAVERY    IN     ILLINOIS FUGITIVE    SLAVE     LAW ITS    BANEFUL     EFFECTS MRS.     STOWE's 

REMARKABLE  BOOK BLACK   CODE   OF  ILLINOIS SALE  OF   A   NEGRO  IN  CHICAGO SET 

AT  LIBERTY  AFTER  SALE ANTI-SLAVERY  SENTIMENT  IN  CHICAGO THE  UNDER- 
GROUND RAILROAD GREAT  NUMBERS  OF  RUNAWAY  SLAVES MEETINGS  TO  DE- 
NOUNCE THE  FUGITIVE  SLAVE  LAW SENATOR  DOUGLAS  APPEARS  ON  THE  SCENE 

CAUSES  A  TEMPORARY  REVERSAL  OF  SENTIMENT REVIEWS  THE  FUGITIVE  SLAVE   LAW 

ANSWERS   AWKWARD   QUESTIONS DOUGLAS   OFFERS   RESOLUTIONS   TO   SUPPORT   THE 

OBNOXIOUS      LAW SUCCEEDS      IN      GETTING      THEM      ADOPTED SHOWS      WONDERFUL 

POWER  IN  SWAYING  AUDIENCES- — OPPOSITION  MEETINGS  HELD PUBLIC   MEETINGS  SIX 

NIGHTS    IN    SUCCESSION REVIEW    OF    THE    EXCITING    EVENTS    OF    THE    WEEK.  .  .  .406 


By  permission  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 

LOUIS  JOIJET 


Chicago:  Its  History 
and  Its  Builders 


CHAPTER  I 

PERIOD  OF  DISCOVERY 

EARLIEST   RECORD   OF    CHICAGO CHICAGO    HISTORY    BEGINS    WITH    JOLIET    AND    MAR- 

QUETTE'S  VOYAGE  OF   1673 — EARLIER  VOYAGE  TOWARD  MISSISSIPPI — APPOINTMENT 

OF  JOLIET  AND  MARQUETTE  TO  JOURNEY  DOWN  THE  RIVER THEIR  PREPARATIONS 

THEIR  TRIP ENTERING  THE  MISSISSIPPI EXPERIENCES  ALONG  THE  WAY MEET- 
ING WITH  INDIANS THE  ILLINOIS  PROVE  FRIENDLY THE  JOURNEY  RESUMED IN- 
DIANS WARN  EXPLORERS  AGAINST  APPROACHING  MOUTH  OF  THE  RIVER DECISION 

TO  RETURN  UP  THE  RIVER LANDMARKS  PASSED LEAVE  THE  MISSISSIPPI  TO  GO  UP 

ILLINOIS   RIVER SITE    OF    CHICAGO    VISITED GREEN    BAY    REACHED    AND    VOYAGE 

ENDED JOLIET  THE  LEADER. 

HE  discovery  of  the  Upper  Mississippi  river,  as  well  as  that  of  the  Chi- 
cago river,  was  made  on  the  celebrated  voyage  of  Joliet  and  Marquette 
in  1673.  The  beginning  of  the  recorded  history  of  Chicago  dates  from 
this  year  and  this  voyage,  and  its  importance  requires  some  account  of 
the  events  which  marked  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  daring  enterprises 
in  the  annals  of  western  adventure  and  exploration. 

EARLY    EXPLORERS    OF    THE    MISSISSIPPI 

The  Mississippi  had  been  discovered  by  a  Spaniard,  Hernando  De  Soto  in 
1541,  at  a  point  near  the  present  city  of  Memphis;  but  this  discovery  had  been  well- 
nigh  forgotten  at  the  period  of  time  here  considered.  That  a  great  river  existed, 
far  to  the  north  of  the  region  where  De  Soto  found  and  crossed  the  Mississippi, 
was  well  known  to  the  French  from  the  reports  made  to  them  by  the  Indians,  vague 
and  indefinite  though  they  were;  and  these  reports  excited  the  imagination  and 
stimulated  the  ambition  of  many  of  the  adventurous  spirits  of  the  time.  Nicollet, 
while  descending  the  Wisconsin  river  in  1638,  reached  a  point  within  three  days' 
journey  of  its  mouth  before  turning  back,  and  thus  narrowly  missed  making  the 


2  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

discovery  of  the  great  river  which  was  reserved  for  others  to  make  more  than  a 
generation  later.  He  supposed,  however,  that  he  was  within  that  distance  "froin 
the  sea,"  having  misunderstood  the  information  given  him  by  tin-  Indians.  Father 
Allouez,  while  engaged  in  missionary  labors  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Superior,  heard 
of  the  Sioux  and  their  great  river,  the  "Messippi."  l  In  the  Algonquin  language, 
the  name  Mississippi,  spelled  in  a  variety  of  ways  by  the  early  chroniclers,  meant. 
"Great  River." 

It  does  not  appear  to  have  been  suspected  by  any  of  the  early  French  explor- 
ers that  the  Great  River  of  which  the  Indians  told  them,  was  one  and  the  same 
with  that  discovered  by  the  Spanish  explorer,  more  than  a  century  before.  Many* 
conjectures  were  made  as  to  where  it  reached  the  sea,  on  which  point  the  Indians 
could  give  no  reliable  information.  Some  thought  that  it  emptied  into  the  "Sea 
of  Virginia,"  2  others  contended  that  it  flowed  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  while  Fronte- 
nac,  the  governor  of  New  France,  was  convinced  that  it  discharged  its  waters  into 
the  Vermilion  Sea,  that  is  the  Gulf  of  California;  and  that  by  way  of  it,  a  passage 
might  be  found  to  China.3 

Reports  having  reached  France,  regarding  the  "Great  River  of  the  West,"  as 
•it  was  often  spoken  of,  the  French  minister,  Colbert,  wrote  to  Talon,  the  Intendant 
at  Quebec,  in  1672,  that  efforts  should  be  made  "to  reach  the  sea;"  meaning  to 
explore  the  great  unknown  river  and  solve  the  mystery  of  its  outlet.  This  was 
followed  by  appropriate  instructions.  Father  Dablon,  in  the  "Jesuit  Relations," 
says:  "The  Count  Frontenac,  our  Governor,  and  Monsieur  Talon,  then  our  In- 
tendant, recognizing  the  importance  of  this  discovery  [to  be  made],  .  .  .  ap- 
pointed for  this  undertaking  Sieur  Joliet,  whom  they  considered  very  fit  for  so 
great  an  enterprise;  and  they  were  well  pleased  that  Father  Marquette  should  be 
of  the  party." 

JOLIET    AND    MARQUETTE    TO    EXPLORE    MISSISSIPPI 

They  were  not  mistaken  in  the  choice-  that  they  made  of  Louis  Joliet.  He  was 
a  native  of  Quebec,  had  been  educated  by  the  Jesuits,  and  had  taken  the  minor 
orders  of  that  priesthood  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  These  he  renounced  in  a  few 
years  and  became  a  fur  trader.  At  the  time  he  was  chosen  to  command  the  expedi- 
tion, he  was  a  young  man  twenty-eight  years  old,  possessing  all  the  qualifications 
that  could  be  desired  for  such  an  undertaking;  he  had  had  experience  among  the 
Indians,  and  knew  their  language ;  he  had  tact,  prudence  and  courage,  and,  as  the 
event  proved,  he  fulfilled  all  the  expectations  which  were  entertained  of  him  by 
his  superiors.  Father  James  Marquette  was  a  Jesuit  missionary,  thirty-six  years 
old,  who  for  six  years  had  been  stationed  at  missions  in  the  North.  He  was  born 
in  France,  one  of  an  honorable  old  family,  and  had  entered  the  priesthood,  im- 
pelled by  his  natural  piety  and  religious  enthusiasm.  In  1666  he  was  sent  to  the 
Jesuit  missions  of  Canada,  and  during  the  next  few  years  learned  to  speak  six  In- 
dian languages.  In  addition  to  his  zeal  for  the  conversion  of  the  Indians,  he  was 
filled  with  a  burning  desire  to  behold  the  "Great  River"  of  which  he  had  heard  so 
much.  He  was  stationed  at  this  time  at  St.  Ignace,  and  here  Joliet  joined  him 

Tarkman:     "La  Salle  and  the  Discovery  of  the  Great  West"   (Ed.  1879),  pp  XXIII-XXIV. 

-'  Parkman,  pp.   30-64. 

3  "Jesuit  Relations,"  Vol.  59,  pp.  87-163. 


From  a  painting  at  St.  M?rv's  College.  Montreal 

MARQUETTE 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  3 

late  in  the  year  1672,  and  brought  him  the  intelligence  of  his  appointment  to  go 
with  him  in  the  conduct  of  the  expedition.  "I  was  all  the  more  delighted  at  this 
good  news,"  writes  Marquette  in  his  journal,  "since  I  saw  that  my  plans  were  about 
to  be  accomplished ;  and  since  I  found  myself  in  the  blessed  necessity  of  exposing 
my  life  for  the  salvation  of  all  these  peoples,  and  especially  of  the  Illinois,  who  had 
very  urgently  entreated  me,  when  I  was  at  the  point  of  St.  Esprit,  to  carry  the 
word  of  God  to  their  country.  "  Here  at  St.  Ignace  they  passed  the  winter. 

As  the  spring  advanced,  they  made  the  necessary  preparations  for  their  jour- 
ney, the  duration  of  which  they  could  not  foresee.  In  two  bark  canoes,  manned  by 
five  Frenchmen,  besides  the  two  intrepid  leaders,  the  party  embarked,  "fully  re- 
solved to  do  and  suffer  everything  for  so  glorious  an  enterprise;"  and  on  the  17th 
of  May,  1673,  the  voyage  began  at  the  mission  of  St.  Ignace.  Father  Marquette 
writes  in  his  journal:  "The  joy  that  we  felt  at  being  selected  for  this  expedition 
animated  our  courage,  and  rendered  the  labor  of  paddling  from  morning  to  night 
agreeable  to  us.  And  because  we  were  going  to  seek  unknown  countries,  we  took 
every  precaution  in  our  power,  so  that  if  our  undertaking  were  hazardous,  it  should 
not  be  foolhardy."  The  journal  of  Father  Marquette  is  the  principal  source  of 
our  information,  and  is  full  of  detail  and  written  in  a  simple  style.  Joliet  also 
kept  a  record  and  made  a  map,  but,  most  unfortunately,  all  his  papers  were  lost, 
by  the  upsetting  of  his  canoe  in  the  St.  Lawrence,  while  he  was  returning  to  Que- 
bec the  following  year  to  make  a  report  of  his  discoveries.  Thus  it  happens  that 
Marquette's  name  is  more  frequently  and  prominently  mentioned  in  all  the  accounts 
than  that  of  Joliet. 

The  adventurous  voyagers  proceeded  along  the  northern  shore  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan, the  only  portion  of  the  lake  which  had  at  that  time  been  explored  and  entered 
Green  Bay.  They  arrived  at  the  mission  establishd  by  Father  Allouez  two  years 
before,4  and  from  here  they  began  the  difficult  ascent  of  the  Fox  river.5  On  its 
upper  waters  they  stopped  at  a  village  of  the  Mascoutins,  from  whom  they  pro- 
cured guides ;  and  by  these  friendly  savages  they  were  conducted  across  the  portage 
into  the  upper  waters  of  the  Wisconsin  river,  whence  the  travelers  made  their  way 
alone.  As  the  Indians  turned  back,  they  "marveled  at  the  courage  of  seven  white 
men,  venturing  alone  in  two  canoes  on  a  journey  into  unknown  lands."  ° 

They  were  now  embarked  on  the  Wisconsin  river  and  soon  passed  the  utmost 
limits  of  Nicollet's  voyage  on  this  river 7  made  thirty-five  years  before.  "It  is 
very  wide,"  writes  Marquette,  "and  has  a  sandy  bottom  rendering  the  navigation 
difficult.  It  is  full  of  islands  covered  with  vines,  and  on  the  banks  one  sees  fertile 
land,  diversified  with  woods,  prairies  and  hills."  Their  route  lay  to  the  southwest, 
and,  after  a  voyage  of  seven  days  on  this  river,  on  the  17th  day  of  June,  just  one 
month  from  the  day  they  started  from  St.  Ignace,  they  reached  its  mouth  and  steered 
their  canoes  forth  upon  the  broad  bosom  of  the  Mississippi,  "with  a  joy  that  I 
cannot  express  (avec  une  joye  que  je  ne  peux  pas  expliquer),"  wrote  Marquette. 

4  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  XVI,   104. 

5  Hennepin :     "A  New  Discovery,"  p.  639. 

6  Mason :     "Chapters  from  Illinois  History,"   p.  20  et  seq. 
'Albach:     "Annals  of  the  West,"  p.  52. 


4  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

MISSISSIPPI    RIVER     IS    REACHED 

• 

"Here  then,  we  are,"  continues  the  good  Father  in  his  journal,  "on  this  so 
renowned  river."  Westward,  coining  down  to  the  water's  edge,  were  lofty  wooded 
hills  intersected  by  deep  gorges,  fringed  with  foliage.  Eastward  were  beautiful 
prairie  lands;  while  great  quantities  of  game-deer,  buffalo  and  wild  turkey-were 
seen  everywhere.  In  the  river  were  islands  covered  with  trees  and  in  the  water 
they  saw  "monstrous  fish,"  some  of  which  they  caught  in  their  nets.  Following 
the  flow  of  the  river,  they  note  the  changes  in  the  scenery,  while  passing  between 
shores  of  unsurpassed  natural  beauty,  along  which  a  chain  of  flourishing  cities  v 
afterwards  to  be  built. 

But  it  is  still  a  far  cry  before  the  adventurers  reach  the  portage  and  the  river 
which  in  time  came  to  bear  the  name  of  Chicago,  and  which  is  the  chief  concern  of 
this  narrative.  They  are  now  fairly  on  the  way,  a  round-about  way  indeed,  but 
none  the  less  surely  will  they  accomplish  the  journey  and  float  their  canoes  on  the 
still  waters  of  its  river  and  repose  themselves  on  its  grassy  banks.  The  broad  plain 
and  woodland  where  the  present  city  of  Chicago  stands  with  its  throngs  of  human- 
ity and  its  "unexampled  prosperity,"  still  remain  in  a  state  of  primeval  wildness, 
as  yet  unvisited  by  civilized  men,  and  only  await  the  arrival  of  our  devoted  band  of 
explorers  to  make  their  remarkable  natural  features  and  situation  known  to  the 
world  and  to  future  times.  Many  strange  adventures  by  flood  and  field  are  before 
them,  and  we  will  continue  to  follow  their  advance  into  the  unknown. 

Steadily  they  followed  the  course  of  the  river  towards  the  south,  and  on  the 
eighth  day  they  saw,  for  the  first  time  since  entering  the  river,  tracks  of  men  near 
the  water's  edge,  and  they  stopped  to  examine  them.  This  point  was  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Des  Moines  river,  and  thus  they  were  the  first  white  men  to  place! 
foot  on  the  soil  of  Iowa.  Leaving  their  men  to  guard  the  canoes  the  two  courageous 
leaders  followed  a  path  two  leagues  to  the  westward,  when  they  came  in  sight  of 
an  Indian  village.  As  they  approached,  they  gave  notice  of  their  arrival  by  a  loud 
call,  upon  which  the  savages  quickly  came  forth  from  their  huts  and  regarded  the 
strangers  attentively.  Some  of  their  number  who  had  evidently  visited  the  mission 
stations  recognized  them  as  Frenchmen,  and  they  responded  to  Marquette's  greet- 
ing in  a  friendly  manner  and  offered  the  calumet,  or  peace  pipe,  which  greatly 
reassured  the  visitors.  Four  of  the  elders  advanced  and  elevated  their  pipes  towards 
the  sun  as  a  token  of  friendship;  and,  on  Marquette's  inquiring  who  they  were, 
they  replied,  "we  are  Illinois;"  at  the  same  time  inviting  the  strangers  to  walk  to 
their  habitations.  An  old  man  then  made  them  a  speech  in  which  he  said,  "All  our 
people  wait  for  thee,  and  thou  shalt  enter  our  cabin  in  peace." 


HOSPITALITY     OF     ILLINOIS    INDIANS 


The  Illinois  Indians  lived  at  this  time  beyond  the  Mississippi,  whither  they  had 
been  driven  by  the  fierce  Iroquois  from  their  former  abode,  near  Lake  Michigan.  A 
few  years  later  most  of  them  returned  to  the  east  side  and  made  their  abode  along 
the  Illinois  river.  Indeed,  as  we  shall  see,  Joliet  and  Marquette  found  a  large 
village  of  them  on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Illinois,  while  ascending  that  river  a 
few  weeks  later.  It  may  be  remarked  here,  however,  that  the  Illinois  Indians 
never  fully  recovered  from  the  disastrous  defeats  they  suffered  from  the  Iroquois, 


From  Blanchard's  Discovery  and  Conquests  of  the  Northwest.      Edition  of  1881 

MAP  ILLUSTRATING  THE  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  NORTHWEST 


J 


Portion  of  Franquelin's  Map  of  1684, 
redrawn  by  John  F.  Steward  and  so 
printed  in  his  "Lost  Maramech." 


FRANQUELIN'S  MAP  OF  1684 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  5 

and  held  only  a  precarious  possession  of  their  lands  along  the  Illinois  river  after 
that  time ;  until  a  century  later,  the  last  broken  remnant  of  them  was  exterminated 
at  Starved  Rock  by  the  Pottawattomies  8  and  Ottawas. 

While  still  at  the  village  of  these  Illinois  Indians,  a  grand  feast  was  pre- 
pared for  the  travelers,  and  they  remained  until  the  next  day,  when  they  made 
preparations  for  their  departure.  The  chief  presented  them  with  "belts,  garters, 
and  other  articles  made  of  hair  of  bears  and  cattle  [Buffalo],  dyed  red,  yellow  and 
gray."  It  will  grieve  those  of  our  readers  who  have  the  collecting  mania,  to  learn 
from  the  good  father  that  "as  they  were  of  no  great  value,  we  did  not  burden  our- 
selves with  them." 

But  the  chief  made  them  two  more  gifts  which  were  a  valuable  addition  to  their 
equipment  namely,  an  Indian  lad,  the  chief's  own  son,  for  a  slave,  and  "an  alto- 
gether mysterious  calumet  (un  Calumet  tout  mysterieux),  upon  which  the  Indians 
place  more  value  than  upon  a  slave."  The  possession  of  this  "mysterious  calumet," 
was  the  means  of  placating  several  bands  of  hostile  Indians,  whom  they  met  later 
in  their  journey.  The  chief,  on  learning  their  intention  to  proceed  down  the  river 
"as  far  as  the  sea,"  attempted  to  dissuade  them  on  account  of  the  great  dangers  to 
which  they  would  expose  themselves.  "I  replied,"  says  Marquette,  "that  I  feared 
not  death,  and  that  I  regarded  no  happiness  as  greater  than  that  of  losing  my  life 
for  the  glory  of  Him,  who  has  made  us  all.  This  is  what  these  poor  people  can- 
not understand."  These  were  no  idle  words  of  Marquette's,  for  before  the  lapse 
of  two  years  from  that  date,  he  died  of  privation  and  exposure,  a  martyr  to  the 
cause  he  had  so  much  at  heart. 

The  sequel  to  the  story  of  the  little  Indian  boy  mentioned  above  was  a  sad  one. 
He  accompanied  the  voyagers  to  the  end  of  their  journey.  In  the  following  year, 
when  Joliet  was  on  his  way  to  Quebec  to  make  the  report  of  his  discoveries,  his 
canoe  was  overturned  in  the  rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence  near  Montreal,  as  previously 
stated.  The  rest  of  the  narrative  is  quoted  from  Mason's  "Chapters  from  Illinois 
History."  "His  box  of  papers,  containing  his  map  and  report,  was  lost,  and  he 
himself  was  rescued  with  difficulty.  Two  of  his  companions  were  drowned ;  one 
of  these  was  the  slave  presented  to  him  by  the  great  chief  of  the  Illinois,  a  little 
Indian  lad  ten  years  of  age,  whom  he  deeply  regretted,  describing  him  as  of  a 
good  disposition,  full  of  spirit,  industrious  and  obedient,  and  already  beginning  to 
read  and  write  the  French  language." 

DANGERS    AND    WONDERS    OF    THE    JOURNEY 

On  the  departure  of  the  party,  Marquette  promised  the  Indians  to  return  to 
them  the  next  year  and  instruct  them.  They  embarked  in  the  sight  of  the  peo- 
ple, who  had  followed  them  to  the  landing  to  the  number  of  some  six  hundred.  The 
people  admired  the  canoes  and  gave  them  a  friendly  farewell.  We  cannot  fail  to 
note  the  harmony  which  existed  between  the  two  leaders  on  this  expedition,  in  such 
striking  contrast  with  the  bickerings  and  disagreements  observed  in  the  accounts 
of  other  expeditions  of  a  like  nature.  For  there  is  no  severer  test  of  the  friendly 

8  Note: — The  spelling  "Potawatomi"  is  now  authorized  by  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Ethnology, 
though,  the  older  spelling  of  the  name  has  been  retained  in  this  work  as  being  more  familiar 
to  readers. 


6  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

relations  between  officers  of  an  exploring  expedition  than  a  long  absence  in  regions 
beyond  the  bounds  of  civilization.  Joliet  and  Marquette  were  friends  long  before 
they  started  together  on  this  journey,  and  both  were  single  minded  in  their  pur- 
pose to  accomplish  its  objects.  No  more  lovely  character  appears  in  the  history 
of  western  adventure  than  that  of  Marquette,  a  man  who  endeared  himself  to  all 
whom  he  came  in  contact  with,  and  made  himself  an  example  for  all  time.  Joliet, 
in  turn,  "was  the  foremost  explorer  of  the  West,"  says  Mason,  "a  man  whose 
character  and  attainments  and  public  services  made  him  a  man  of  high  distinction 
in  his  own  day." 

Continuing  their  journey  the  voyagers  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois,  without 
special  notice,  but  when  in  the  vicinity  of  the  place  where  the  city  of  Alton  now 
stands,  and  while  skirting  some  high  rocks,  they  "saw  upon  one  of  them  two 
painted  monsters  which  at  first  made  them  afraid."  The  paintings  were  "as  large 
as  a  calf,"  and  were  so  well  done  that  they  could  not  believe  that  any  savage  had 
done  the  work.  Joutel  saw  them  some  eleven  years  later,  but  could  not  see  anything 
particularly  terrifying  in  them,  though  the  Indians  who  were  with  him  were  much 
impressed.  St.  Cosme  passed  by  them  in  1699,  but  they  were  then  almost  effaced; 
and  when,  in  1867,  Parkman  visited  the  Mississippi,  he  passed  the  rock  on  which 
the  paintings  appeared,  but  the  rock  had  been  partly  quarried  away  and  all  traces 
of  the  pictures  had  disappeared. 

They  had  scarcely  recovered  from  their  fears  before  they  found  themselves  in 
the  presence  of  a  new  danger,  for  they  heard  the  noise  of  what  at  first  they  sup- 
posed were  rapids  ahead  of  them;  and  directly  they  came  in  sight  of  the  turbulent 
waters  of  the  Missouri  river,  pouring  its  flood  into  the  Mississippi.  Large  trees, 
branches  and  even  "floating  islands"  were  borne  on  its  surface,  and  its  "water  was 
very  muddy."  The  name  Missouri  which  was  afterwards  applied  to  this  river, 
means  in  the  Indian  language  "muddy  water,"  and  the  river  is  often  spoken  of  to 
this  day  as  the  "Big  Muddy."  They  passed  in  safety,  however,  and  continued  on 
their  journey  in  good  spirits  and  with  thankful  hearts. 

FURTHER  ENCOUNTERS   WITH    SAVAGES 

They  now  began  to  think  that  the  general  course  of  the  river  indicated  that  it 
would  discharge  itself  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  though  they  were  still  hoping  to 
find  that  it  would  lead  into  the  South  Sea,  toward  California.  They  passed  the 
beautiful  plateau,  where  the  city  of  St.  Louis  was  afterwards  built,  and  reached 
the  mouth  of  the  Ohio;  thus  having  coasted  the  entire  western  boundary  of  what  is 
now  the  State  of  Illinois.  As  they  passed  the  confluence  of  the  Ohio  and  the  Mis- 
sissippi, the  shores  changed  their  character.  They  found  the  banks  lined  with  ex- 
tensive fields  of  canebrakes;  mosquitoes  filled  the  air,  and  the  excessive  heat 
of  the  sun  obliged  them  to  seek  protection  from  its  rays  by  stretching  an  awning 
of  cloth  over  their  canoes.  While  they  were  thus  floating  down  the  current  of  the 
river,  some  savages  appeared  on  the  banks  armed  with  guns,  thus  indicating  that 
they  were  in  communication  with  Europeans,  probably  the  Spaniards  of  P'lorida. 
Just  as  in  recent  times,  the  explorer  Stanley,  while  floating  down  the  Congo,  knew 
that  he  was  approaching  European  settlements  by  finding  the  natives  armed  with 
muskets  instead  of  the  rude  weapons  of  the  tribes  of  the  interior.  The  savages  at 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  7 

first  assumed  a.  threatening  attitude,  but  Marquette  offered  his  "plumed  calumet," 
so  called  because  of  the  feathers  it  was  adorned  with,  which  the  Illinois  chief  had 
given  him,  and  the  strangers  were  at  once  received  as  friends.  These  savages  told 
them  that  they  were  within  ten  days'  journey  of  the  sea,  and  witli  their  hopes  thus 
raised  they  soon  resumed  their  course. 

They  continued  down  past  the  monotonous  banks  of  this  part  of  the  river  for 
some  three  hundred  miles  from  the  place  where  they  had  met  the  Indians  just 
spoken  of,  when  they  were  suddenly  startled  by  the  war-whoops  of  a  numerous 
band  of  savages  who  showed  every  sign  of  hostility.  The  wonderful  calumet  was  held 
up  by  Marquette,  but  at  first  without  producing  any  effect.  Missiles  were  flying, 
but  fortunately  doing  no  damage,  and  some  of  the  savages  plunged  into  the  river 
in  order  to  grasp  their  canoes ;  when  presently  some  of  the  older  men,  having  per- 
ceived the  calumet  steadily  held  aloft,  called  back  their  young  men  and  made  reas- 
suring signs  and  gestures.  They  found  one  who  could  speak  a  little  Illinois;  and, 
on  learning  that  the  Frenchmen  were  on  their  way  to  the  sea,  the  Indians  escorted 
them  some  twenty-five  miles,  until  they  reached  a  village  called  Akamsea.  Here 
they  were  well  received,  but  the  dwellers  there  warned  them  against  proceeding, 
on  account  of  the  warlike  tribes  below  who  would  bar  their  way. 

Joliet  and  Marquette  here  held  a  council  whether  to  push  on,  or  to  remain 
content  with  the  discoveries  they  had  already  made.  They  judged  that  they  were 
within  two  or  three  days'  journey  from  the  sea,  though  we  know  that  they  were 
still  some  seven  hundred  miles  distant  from  it.  They  decided  however,  that  beyond 
a  doubt  the  Mississippi  discharged  its  waters  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  not  to 
the  East  in  Virginia,  or  to  the  West  in  California.  They  considered  that  in  going 
on  thejr  would  ex-pose  themselves  to  the  risk  of  losing  the  results  of  their  voyage, 
and  would,  without  a  doubt,  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Spaniards,  who  would  de- 
tain them  as  captives.  The  upshot  of  their  deliberations  was  the  decision  that  they 
would  begin  the  return  voyage  at  once.  The  exploration  of  the  river  from  this 
point  to  the  sea  was  not  accomplished  until  nine  years  later,  when  that  bold  ex- 
plorer, La  Salle,  passed  entirely  down  the  river  to  its  mouth ;  where  he  set  up  a 
column  and  buried  a  plate  of  lead,  bearing  the  arms  of  France;  took  possession  of 
the  country  for  the  French  King,  and  named  it  Louisiana.11 

DECISION    TO    MAKE    THE    RETURN    JOURNEY 

The  party  were  now  at  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas,  having  passed  more  than 
one  hundred  miles  below  the  place  where  De  Soto  crossed  it  in  the  previous  cen- 
tury, had  sailed  eleven  hundred  miles  in  the  thirty  days  since  they  had  been  on 
the  great  river,  an  average  of  about  thirty-seven  miles  a  day,  and  had  covered  nine 
degrees  of  latitude.  On  the  17th  of  July,  they  began  their  return  journey,  just  one 
month  to  a  day  after  they  had  entered  the  river,  and  two  months  after  they  had 
left  the  mission  at  St.  Ignace. 

The  voyage  up  the  river  in  the  midsummer  heat  was  one  of  great  difficulty,  but 
steadily  they  "won  their  slow  way  northward,"  passing  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  and 
that  of  the  Missouri ;  until  at  length  they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  river. 
Here  they  left  the  Mississippi  and  entered  the  Illinois,  being  greatly  charmed 

0  Parkman:   p.-  286. 


8  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

"with  its  placid  waters,  its  shady  forests,  and  its  rich  plains,  grazed  by  bison  and 
deer."  They  passed  through  the  wide  portion  of  the  river,  afterwards  known  as 
Peoria  lake,  and  reached  its  upper  waters,  where,  on  the  south  bank,  rises  the  re- 
markable cliff,  since  called  "Starved  Rock."  They  were  thus  "the  first  white  men 
to  see  the  territory  now  known  as  the  State  of  Illinois."  10 

SETTLEMENTS    AND    LANDMARKS    OF    THE    MISSISSIPPI 

On  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river,  where  the  town  of  Utica  now  stands,  they 
found  a  village  of  Illinois  Indians,  called  Kaskaskia,  consisting  of  seventy-four 
cabins.  It  should  here  be  stated  that  the  Indians  removed  this  village,  some  seven- 
teen years  later,  to  the  south  part  of  the  present  State  of  Illinois,  on  the  Kaskaskia 
river,  where  it  became  noted  in  the  early  annals  of  the  west.  The  travelers  were 
well  received  here,  and,  on  their  departure,  a  chief  and  a  number  of  young  men  of 
the  village  joined  the  party  for  the  purpose  of  guiding  them  to  the  Lake  of  the 
Illinois,  that  is,  Lake  Michigan.  A  few  miles  above  they  passed  the  place  where 
the  present  city  of  Ottawa  is  situated,  and  where  the  Fox  river  of  Illinois  flows 
into  the  Illinois  river  from  the  north. 

The  course  of  the  river  was  now  almost  directly  east  and  west,  and  the  voy- 
agers could  not  fail  to  notice  the  ranges  of  bluffs  flanking  the  bottom  lands  through 
which  the  stream  meanders  in  its  flow.  This  broad  channel  once  carried  a  mighty 
volume  of  water  from  Lake  Michigan  to  the  Mississippi,  at  a  time  when  the  gla- 
ciers were  subsiding  and  the  lake  level  was  some  thirty  feet  higher  than  in  historic 
times. 

None  of  the  countries  they  had  seen  compared  with  those  they  beheld  while 
voyaging  up  this  river  "as  regards  its  fertility  of  soil,  its  prairies  and  woods;" 
and  they  found  it  "more  beautiful  than  France." 

La  Salle  at  a  later  time  described  the  country  as  "so  beautiful  and  so  fertile, 
so  free  from  forests,  and  so  well  supplied  with  prairies,  brooks  and  rivers,  so 
abounding  in  fish,  game  and  venison,  that  one  can  find  there  in  plenty  and  with  lit- 
tle trouble  all  that  is  needed  for  the  support  of  flourishing  colonies."  Indeed,  one 
is  reminded  when  reading  these  enthusiastic  descriptions  of  the  country  by  the 
early  explorers,  of  the  words  of  that  stirring  song  which  we  Illinoisans  love  so 
well,  celebrating  the  glories  of  the  land  in  which  we  live,  beginning: 

"By    thy    riivers   ever    flowing, 

Illinois,    Illinois; 

By   thy   prairies   verdant  growing, 
Illinois,    Illinois." 

The  travelers  soon  arrived  at  the  confluence  of  the  Desplaines  and  the  Kanka- 
kee  rivers  which  here,  at  a  point  some  forty-five  miles  from  Lake  Michigan,  unite 
to  form  the  Illinois  river.  Under  the  guidance  of  their  Indian  friends  they  chose 
the  route  by  way  of  the  Desplaines  as  the  shortest  to  the  lake ;  and  after  proceeding 
some  thirteen  miles  in  a  northeasterly  direction,  they  came  in  view  of  that  remark- 
able natural  feature  afterwards  called  Mount  Joliet,  now  almost  entirely  vanished 

10  Address  of  L.  E.  Jones,  in  Evanston   Historical   Society  Records. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  9 

from  view  owing  to  the  steady  work  of  gravel  diggers  continued  over  several  gen- 
erations. Although  not  mentioned  by  Marquette  in  his  journal,  it  was  described 
by  St.  Cosme  when  he  passed  this  point  a  few  years  later.  He  notes  a  tradition 
among  the  Indians  regarding  it,  "that  at  the  time  of  a  great  deluge  one  of  their 
ancestors  escaped,  and  that  this  little  mountain  is  his  canoe  which  he  turned  over 
there."  The  party  soon  after  passed  the  site  of  the  present  flourishing  city  of 
Joliet,  and  began  the  laborious  ascent  of  the  rapids  a  few  miles  above.11  On  reach- 
ing the  place  where  the  portage  into  the  waters  tributary  to  Lake  Michigan  was  to 
be  made,  their  Indian  guides  aided  them  in  carrying  their  canoes  over  the  "half 
league"  of  dry  land  intervening.  As  this  portage  is  much  longer  than  that,  it  is 
likely  that  the  "half  league"  mentioned  by  Marquette  referred  to  one  stage  of  the 
portage,  between  the  Desplaines  and  the  first  of  the  two  shallow  lakes  which  they 
found  there  and  on  which  they,  no  doubt,  floated  their  canoes  several  miles  on  their 
way  to  the  waters  of  the  south  branch  of  the  Chicago  river. 

They  were  now  at  the  summit  of  the  "divide"  between  the  two  great  water 
systems  of  the  west.  The  river  they  had  left  had  its  source  more  than  a  hundred 
miles  to  the  north  of  the  portage,  and  was  a  tributary  of  the  Mississippi,  eventually 
reaching  the  Gulf  of  Mexico;  while  the  waters  of  the  south  branch  of  the  Chicago 
river,  which  they  were  about  to  enter,  reach  the  sea  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence. Here  their  Indian  friends  left  them  while  they  made  their  way  down  the 
five  miles  that  yet  intervened  before  they  would  reach  Lake  Michigan.  Groves  of 
trees  lined  its  banks,  beyond  which  a  level  plain  extended  to  the  margin  of  the 
lake.  This  level  plain  was  the  only  portion  of  the  "Grand  Prairie"  of  Illinois 
which  anywhere  reached  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  a  space  limited  to  some  four 
miles  south  of  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river.  They  were  not  long  in  coming  into 
view  of  that  splendid  body  of  water  which  they  were  approaching,  and  must  have 
beheld  its  vast  extent  with  the  feelings  of  that  "watcher  of  the  skies"  so  beau- 
tifully written  of  by  Keats,  "when  a  new  planet  swims  into  his  ken." 

SITE     OF    CHICAGO     FIRST     VISITED    BY    WHITE     MEN 

No  date  is  given  by  Marquette  in  his  journal  of  the  arrival  of  the  party  at 
this  point,  but  it  was  probably  early  in  September  of  the  year  1673  that  the 
site  of  the  present  city  of  Chicago  was  first  visited  by  white  men.12  It  is  quite 
possible  that  coureurs  de  bois  ("wood-rangers")  may  have  visited  the  spot  while 
among  the  Indian  tribes,  but  no  record  was  ever  made  of  such  visits  before  the 
time  that  Joliet  and  Marquette  arrived  upon  the  scene,  and  made  known  the 
discovery  to  the  world.  The  mouth  of  the  river  is  shown  on  all  the  early  maps 
as  at  a  point  a  quarter  of  a  mile  south  of  the  present  outlet,  owing  to  a  long  sand 
spit  that  ran  out  from  the  north  shore  of  the  river  near  its  confluence  with  the 
lake,  which  has  long  since  been  dredged  away.  This  was  Joliet's  first  and  only 
view  of  the  Chicago  river  and  its  banks,  as  he  never  passed  this  way  again.  Mar- 
quette's  later  voyage  to  the  "Chicago  portage"  will  be  mentioned  in  another  chapter. 

The  stimulating  breath  of  the  lake  breezes  which  met  them  as  they  issued  forth 

11  Shea:     "Early  Mississippi   Voyages,"   p.   56. 

12  Blanchard:     "History   of   the    Northwest,"   I,   20. 


10  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

upon  the  blue  waters  of  the  "Lake  of  the  Illinois,"  must  have  thrilled  the  explorers 
with  feeling  of  joy  and  triumph,  having  escaped  so  many  dangers  and  won  such 
imperishable  renown.  Turning  the  prows  of  their  canoes  northward,  they  passed 
the  wooded  shores  still  in  their  pristine  loveliness.  The  emerald  hues  of  the 
prairies  which  they  had  left  behind  them,  were  now  replaced  by  the  mottled  foliage 
of  the  early  autumn,  and  the  waves  breaking  on  the  beach  of  sand  and  gravel  must 
have  impressed  them  deeply  as  they  proceeded  on  their  way.  The  shores  began 
to  rise  and  form  bluffs  as  they  passed  the  regularly  formed  coast  on  their  course.  Few 
and  unimportant  are  the  streams  that  flow  into  the  lake  from  the  narrow  water  1 
shed  of  the  west  shore,  and  the  bluffs  are  occasionally  broken  by  ravines  running 
back  far  beyond  the  range  of  vision. 

Some  thirteen  miles  north  of  the  outlet  of  the  Chicago  river  they  pass  that  high 
point  of  land  where  now  stands  a  lofty  lighthouse,  called  Gross  Point,  and  which 
lake  sailors   of  later  times   were  wont  to  call  by  the  romantic  name  of   "Beauty's    ] 
Eyebrow."     One  of  our  local  poets,  in  referring  to  this  spot,  describes  it  thus: 

"A  dreadful  point  when  furious  north  winds  roar, 
And  Michigan's  soon-roused,  fierce  billows  roll ; 
But  Uncle  Sam,  with  wise  and  prudent  care 
Has  placed  a  far-seen  light  as  signal  there." 

JOURNEY  OF    DISCOVERY  SAFELY  ENDED 

Throughout  their  journey  the  voyagers  gaze  on  scenes,  familiar  now  to  millions 
of  people,  then  unknown  to  civilized  man.  They  see  the  gradual  increase  in  the 
height  of  the  bluffs,  reaching  an  elevation  at  the  present  town  of  Lake  Forest 
of  one  hundred  feet  or  more  above  the  surface  of  the  lake.  No  comments  are  made 
regarding  the  events  of  this  part  of  the  journey  by  Marquette  in  his  journal,  and 
it  most  likely  was  made  without  special  incident.  He  closes  his  narrative  by  saying 
that  "at  the  end  of  September,  we  reached  the  Bay  des  Puants  [Green  Bay],  from 
which  we  started  at  the  beginning  of  June." 

JOLIET    THE     HEAD     OF    THE     EXPEDITION 

The  world  renowned  voyage  of  Joliet  and  Marquette  thus  ended  at  the  mission 
of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  where  the  village  of  De  Pere,  Wisconsin,  now  stands.  The 
explorers  had  traveled  nearly  twenty-five  hundred  miles  in  about  one  hundred  and 
twenty  days,  a  daily  average  of  nearly  twenty-one  miles,  had  discovered  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  the  Chicago  rivers,  as  well  at  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Chicago ; 
and  had  brought  back  their  party  without  any  serious  accident  or  the  loss  of  a 
single  man.  Here  they  remained  during  the  fall  and  winter,  and  in  the  summer, 
of  the  following  year  (1674),  Joliet  set  out  for  Quebec  to  make  a  report  of  his 
discoveries  to  the  governor  of  Canada.  It  was  while  nearing  Montreal  on  his 
journey  that  his  canoe  was  upset  in  the  rapids,  his  Indians  drowned,  and  all  his 
records  and  a  map  that  he  had  carefully  prepared  were  lost.  Joliet  never  returned 
to  the  west.  He  was  rewarded  for  his  splendid  services  with  a  grant  of  some 
islands  in  the  lower  St.  Lawrence,  including  the  extensive  island  of  Anticosti,  and 


•i/ 


By  permission  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 


MARQUICTTE'S  MAP 

Showing  the  western   part  of  Lake  Michigan  and  route  of  Joliet's  expedition  of  dis- 

.  covery  in  107:5.     Joliet  and  Marquette  began  their  journey  at  Green  Bay,  proceeded  up  the 

Fox  Klver  and  down  the  Wisconsin  Hiver ;  followed  the  Mississippi  down  as  far  as  the 

mouth  of  the  Arkansas  Hiver,  and  returned  by  way  of  the  Illinois  River  and  the  Des 

I'laines-Chicago  I'ortage. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  11 

died  in  1700.  As  regards  the  credit  due  Joliet  for  the  discovery  made,  the  late 
Mr.  Edward  G.  Mason  in  his  valuable  work  entitled,  "Chapters  from  Illinois 
History,"  says: 

"Popular  error  assigned  the  leadership  of  the  expedition  which  discovered  the 
Upper  Mississippi  and  the  Illinois  valley  to  Marquette,  who  never  held  or  claimed 
it.  Every  reliable  authority  demonstrates  the  mistake,  and  yet  the  delusion  con- 
tinues. But  as  Marquette  himself  says  that  Joliet  was  sent  to  discover  new  coun- 
tries, and  he  to  preach  the  gospel ;  as  Count  Frontenac  reports  to  the  home  authori- 
ties that  Talon  selected  Joliet  to  make  the  discovery ;  as  Father  Dablon  confirms 
this  statement;  and  as  the  Canadian  authorities  gave  rewards  to  Joliet  alone  as  the 
sole  discoverer,  we  may  safely  conclude  that  to  him  belongs  the  honor  of  the  achieve- 
ment. He  actually  accomplished  that  of  which  Champlain  and  Nicollet  and  Radis- 
son  were  the  heralds,  and,  historically  speaking,  was  the  first  to  see  the  wonderful 
region  of  the  prairies.  At  the  head  of  the  roll  of  those  indissolubly  associated  with 
the  land  of  the  Illinois,  who  have  trod  its  soil,  must  forever  stand  the  name  of 
Louis  Joliet." 

Mr.  Reuben  Gold  Thwaites,  in  his  "Story  of  Wisconsin,"  says  that  Marquette, 
"though  merely  a  subordinate  in  the  expedition,  has  been  accorded  by  most  writers 
far  greater  credit  than  its  leader.  It  is  his  statue,  rather  than  Joliet's,  which  the 
Wisconsin  legislature  voted  to  place  in  the  capitol  at  Washington;  and  while  Mar- 
quette has  a  county  and  a  town  in  Wisconsin  named  in  his  honor,  Joliet  has  not 
even  been  remembered  in  the  list  of  crossroad  postoffices.  Illinois  has  been  more 
considerate  of  historical  truth." 

It  seems  a  strange  omission,  however,  that  here  in  Chicago  we  have  no  street 
or  avenue  named  for  Joliet,  no  building,  park  or  monument  to  commemorate  his 
name  and  splendid  services.  Marquette  has  fared  better  in  this  regard  in  having 
a  stately  building,  situated  on  one  of  our  principal  streets,  named  in  his  honor; 
and,  owing  largely  to  the  simplicity  and  sincerity  of  his  character,  his  memory  is 
held  in  high  and  affectionate  regard  by  the  people  of  Chicago.  The  honor  that 
accrues  from  such  memorials  as  we  have  spoken  of  are  greatly  in  favor  of  La  Salle, 
a  man  whose  memory  indeed  is  worthy  of  such  distinction,  but  who  preferred  an- 
other route  to  the  Mississippi  on  his  first  journey,  and  when  at  a  later  time  he  did 
pass  over  the  Chicago  portage  he  reported  disparagingly  upon  Joliet's  suggestion 
of  a  navigable  waterway. 

F'ather  Marquette  was  destined  never  to  return  to  the  French  colonial  capital. 
His  health  had  become  impaired  on  account  of  the  hardships  he  had  suffered  dur- 
ing the  return  journey  on  the  Mississippi,  and  he  remained  nearly  a  year  at  St. 
Francis  Xavier  in  an  effort  to  recover  and  prepare  himself  for  another  journey 
to  the  Illinois  Country,  as  he  had  promised  his  Indian  friends  he  would  do.  How 
he  again  visited  the  portage  between  the  Chicago  and  Desplaines  rivers  in  the 
following  year,  and  spent  the  winter  there,  will  be  related  in  the  succeeding  chap- 
ter of  this  history. 


CHAPTER  II 

FRENCH   DOMINATION— 1671 

INCREASE    IN     FRENCH    TERRITORY MARQUETTE's    SECOND    JOURNEY    TO    ILLINOIS    COUN- 
TRY  WINTER    QUARTERS    OF   MARQUETTE AT    KASKASKIA DEATH    OF    FATHER    MAR- 

QUETTE FATHER    ALLOUEZ     A     MISSIONARY     TO     INDIANS COMING     OF     LA     SALLE 

TONTY PREPARATIONS     FOR      JOURNEY HARDSHIPS     ENCOUNTERED FORT      CREVE- 

COEUR  ESTABLISHED LA    SALLE    RETURNS   TO   CANADA TONTY   FORCED   OUT    OF    ILLI- 
NOIS   COUNTRY LA    SALLE    RETURNS    WITH     SUPPLIES EXPLORES    THE    MISSISSIPPI • 

GOES   IN    SEARCH    OF    TONTY THE    EXPLORERS    MEET A    THIRD    START    MADE GULF 

OF    MEXICO    REACHED FORT     ST.    LOUIS    ESTABLISHED LA    SALLE     AT    CHICAGO HIS 

APPEAL    TO    DRENCH    COURT TONTY    FINDS    A    FORT    AT    CHICAGO LA    SALLE    COMES 

FROM    FRANCE DEATH    OF    LA    SALLE TONTY    IN    SEARCH    OF    LA    SALLE THE    FATE 

OF    TONTY HISTORICAL    AUTHORITIES. 

BEGINNING    OF     FRENCH    SOVEREIGNTY 

discovery  of  the  Illinois  Country  and  the  western  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan  brought  a  large  accession  of  territory  under  the  dominion  of 
the  French  crown.  In  1671,  two  years  previous  to  the  discovery  of  the 
Illinois  Country,  St.  Lusson  had  taken  possession,  with  much  ceremony 
at  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  of  all  the  countries  then  occupied  by  the  French, 
as  well  as  of  countries  "which  may  be  discovered  hereafter."  l  The  Illinois  Coun- 
try was  thenceforth  included  within  the  scope  of  the  French  authority  and  was 
part  and  parcel  of  the  Kingdom  of  France  ruled  over  at  that  time  by  the  Grand 
Monarch,  Louis  XIV. 

MARQUETTE'S  RETURN  TO  THE  ILLINOIS  COUNTRY 

Early  in  the  summer  of  1674,  that  is,  about  seven  or  eight  months  after  his 
return  to  Green  Bay  from  the  voyage  described  in  the  previous  chapter,  Joliet 
started  on  his  journey  to  Quebec  to  inform  the  authorities  regarding  the  new  coun- 
tries he  had  found.  As  already  related,  Joliet  met  with  disaster  on  this  journey, 
and  had  it  not  been  for  the  journal  kept  by  Marquette  we  should  have  had  no 
detailed  record  of  the  explorations  of  the  previous  year,  though  Joliet  gave  some 
oral  accounts  afterwards,  records  of  which  have  only  in  recent  years  come  to 
light.2  Later  in  the  same  year  Marquette,  having  recovered  from  the  poor  health 
he  had  been  suffering,  received  "orders  to  proceed  to  the  mission  of  La  Conception 

i  Parkman's  "La  Salle,"  p.  43. 

-Mason:     "Chapters  from  Illinois  History,"  p.  30. 

12 


RtnDBROKZt  TABLET  ON  THt 
RlVER-SlPCQrTlMSW. 


From  a  photograph  taken  for  this  history 

MEMORIAL  TO   MARQUETTE   AND  JOLIET   AT   THE    INTER- 
SECTION OF  ROBEY  STREET  AND 
THE  SOUTH  BRANCH 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  13 

among  the  Illinois."  •'  On  the  25th  of  October,  167-1,  accordingly,  he  sat  out  with 
two  companions,  named  Pierre  and  Jacques;  one  of  whom  had  been  with  him 
on  his  former  journey  of  discovery.4  From  this  journey  Marquette  was  destined 
never  to  return;  and  indeed  it  would  seem  to  have  been  a  most  perilous  risk  for 
him  to  have  taken  considering  his  physical  condition,  having  only  recently  been 
"cured,"  as  he  says,  of  his  "ailment,"  and  starting  at  a  time  of  year  when  he 
would  soon  be  overtaken  by  the  winter  season.  But  no  toils  or  exposure  could  deter 
those  devoted  missionaries  of  the  cross  from  engaging  in  any  undertaking  which 
seemed  to  hold  out  the  least  prospect  of  saving  souls,  as  the  history  of  those  times 
abundantly  shows. 

The  route  taken  was  by  way  of  the  difficult  portage  at  Sturgeon  Bay,  where 
now  there  is  a  canal  cutting  through  the  peninsula,  and  which  saved  them  a  circuit 
of  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  Accompanying  his  canoe  was  a  flotilla  of 
nine  others,  containing  parties  of  Pottawattomie  and  Illinois  Indians ;  and  in  due 
time  they  embarked  their  little  fleet  on  the  waters  of  Lake  Michigan.  They  en- 
countered storms  and  the  navigation  proved  difficult,  but  at  length  the  party  arrived 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river,  which  Marquette  calls  "the  river  of  the  Portage," 
early  in  December.  Finding  that  the  stream  was  frozen  over,  they  encamped  near 
by  at  the  entrance  of  the  river  and  engaged  in  hunting,  finding  game  very  abundant. 
While  here  the  two  Frenchmen  of  the  party  killed  "three  buffalo  and  four  deer," 
besides  wild  turkeys  and  partridges,5  which,  considering  the  locality  as  we  of  this 
day  know  it,  seems  difficult  to  imagine;  and  this  passage  in  the  journal  composes 
the  first  sketch  on  record  of  the  site  of  this  great  city  of  the  West. 

Having  followed  the  course  of  the  river  some  "two  leagues  up,"  Marquette 
"resolved  to  winter  there,  as  it  was  impossible  to  go  farther."  His  ailment  had 
returned  and  a  cabin  was  built  for  his  use  and  protection.  There  he  remained 
with  his  two  Frenchmen  while  his  Indian  companions  returned  to  their  own  people. 
It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  Marquette's  destination  was  the  village  of  Illinois 
Indians  at  Kaskaskia  on  the  Illinois  river,  where  he  and  Joliet  had  been  enter- 
tained the  year  before;  and  that  the  cabin  here  spoken  of  was  merely  a  temporary 
shelter  where  he  would  remain  only  until  spring.  But  sometime  during  the  in- 
terval of  the  fifteen  months  since  Marquette  had  previously  passed  the  portage,  two 
Frenchmen  had  established  themselves,  about  "eighteen  leagues  beyond,  in  a  beau- 
tiful hunting  country,"  and  these  men  in  expectation  of  the  holy  father's  return 
had  prepared  a  cabin  for  him,  stocked  with  provisions.  This  cabin  Marquette 
was  not  able  to  reach,  and  the  two  hunters,  hearing  of  the  good  Father's  illness, 
came  to  the  portage  to  render  such  assistance  as  was  in  their  power.  One  of 
these  Frenchmen  was  called  "the  Surgeon,"  perhaps  because  he  possessed  some 
knowledge  of  medicine,  but  his  true  name  is  not  given.  The  other  was  called 
"La  Taupine,"  that  is,  "the  Tawney,"  whose  proper  name  was  Pierre  Moreau,  a 
noted  coureur  de  bois  of  the  time.  Indians  passing  that  way  also  gave  assistance, 
and  late  in  March  Marquette  found  himself  with  strength  recovered  and  able  to 
set  out  on  his  journey  to  the  Illinois,  though  not  before  he  was  driven  out  of  his 

3  "Jesuit  Relations,"  Vol.  59,  p.  165. 
*  Parkman,  p.  67. 
5  Mason,  p.   32. 


U  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

• 

winter  cabin  by  a  sudden  rise  of  the  river  which  obliged  him  to  take  refuge  near 
the  place  now  called  "Summit." 

As  in  the  previous  year,  Marquette  kept  a  journal  which  has  come  down  to 
us  among  that  valuable  series  of  papers  called  the  "Jesuit  Relations."  This 
journal  is  the  sheet  anchor  of  all  the  writers  treating  of  the  history  of  the  two 
journeys  of  discovery  and  exploration  which  we  are  here  narrating.  Marquette 
occupied  a  portion  of  the  time  during  his  stay  at  the  cabin  in  writing  the  memoirs 
of  his  voyages.  In  his  journal  the  good  Father  breathes  the  spirit  of  self-sacri- 
fice, the  concern  for  the  conversion  and  spiritual  welfare  of  the  savages;  and 
with  it  all  he  shows  a  keen  curiosity  and  interest  in  the  manners  and  customs,  the 
country  and  habitations,  of  the  tribes  he  meets  with. 

,         WINTER  QUARTERS  OF  MARQUETTE 

The  location0  of  the  cabin  in  which  Marquette  spent  the  winter  of  1671-5  is 
now  marked  with  a  cross  made  of  mahogany  wood,  at  the  base  of  which  is  a  bronze 
tablet  with  an  inscription.  The  site  was  fixed  upon  in  1905  by  a  committee  of 
the  Chicago  Historical  Society  under  the  guidance  of  the  late  Mr.  Ossian  Guthrie, 
an  intelligent  and  devoted  student  of  our  local  antiquities,  with  a  view  of  marking 
the  spot  in  a  suitable  manner.  An  entire  day  was  spent  by  the  party  in  driving 
and  walking  over  many  miles  of  country  in  order  to  compare  the  topography  with 
the  journal  of  the  missionary,  and  a  series  of  photographs  taken.  The  investi- 
gations resulted  in  confirming  the  opinions  of  Mr.  Guthrie,  namely,  that  Mar- 
quette's  winter  cabin  was  situated  on  the  north  bank  of  the  South  branch  of  the 
Chicago  river  at  the  point  where  now  it  is  intersected  by  Robey  street,  and  from 
which  at  the  present  time  can  be  seen,  by  looking  westward,  the  entrance  to  the 
great  drainage  canal.  While  the  Society  was  making  plans  for  placing  a  me- 
morial on  the  spot  other  parties  took  up  the  project  and  placed  the  cross  and 
inscription  there;  though  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  no  mention  was  made  in  the 
inscription  of  Mr.  Guthrie's  researches  in  identifying  the  site;  for  it  was  solely 
due  to  his  investigations  that  the  site  was  determined.  The  "Marquette  Cross" 
stands  about  fifteen  feet  high,  firmly  planted  on  a  pedestal  of  concrete ;  and  near 
it  stands  a  wrought  iron  cross  about  three  feet  in  height,  which,  however,  has  no 
historical  connection  with  the  famous  missionary,  as  it  was  taken  from  a  burying 
ground  in  Cahokia,  where  it  marked  the  grave  of  some  old  time  French  resident. 

There  is  also  a  monument  at  Summit  a  few  miles  distant  from  the  site  of  Mar- 
quette's  winter  cabin,  marking  the  spot  where  Marquette  landed  after  being  flooded 
out  of  his  winter  quarters  at  Robey  street.  This  monument  is  constructed  of 
boulders  taken  from  the  Drainage  Canal  while  in  process  of  building,  and  was 
placed  there  in  1895  by  the  Chicago  and  Alton  railroad  company.  The  inscrip- 
tion on  the  monument  reads,  "Father  Marquette  landed  here  in  1675." 

MARQUETTE'S  SOJOURN  AT  KASKASKIA 

Marquette  reached  the  Illinois  village  which  he  called  Kaskaskia  in  the  journal 
of  his  first  visit,  and  which  he  refers  to  as  the  "mission  of  La  Conception"  in  his 

8  MS.  report,  by  Miss  C.  M.  Mcllvaine,  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  15 

later  journal.  This  was  on  the  8th  of  April,  1675,  and  on  reaching  the  village 
"he  was  received  as  an  angel  from  heaven."  There  was  always  an  atmosphere  of 
peace  wherever  the  good  missionary  went,  and,  no  matter  how  unfavorable  the 
circumstances  were,  he  was  the  object  of  solicitude  and  kind  attentions  from  his 
followers.  From  the  time  that  he  crossed  the  portage  he  discontinued  his  journal, 
probably  owing  to  his  increasing  weakness.  The  account  of  the  remainder  of  his 
journey  is  written  by  Father  Dablon,  his  superior  at  Quebec.  He  summoned  the 
Indians  to  a  grand  council  and  "displayed  four  large  pictures  of  the  Virgin,  haran- 
gued the  assembly  on  the  mysteries  of  the  Faith,  and  exhorted  them  to  adopt  it."  ~ 
His  hearers  were  much  affected  and  begged  him  to  remain  among  them  and  con- 
tinue his  instructions. 

LAST    DAYS    OF    MARQUETTE 

But  Marquette  realized  that  his  life  was  fast  ebbing  away,  and  that  it  was 
necessary  if  possible  to  reach  some  of  the  older  missions  where  he  could  either 
recover  his  health  or  hand  over  his  responsibilities  to  others.  Soon  after  Easter 
he  started  on  his  return,  pledging  the  Indians  on  his  departure  that  he  or  some 
other  one  would  return  to  them  and  carry  on  the  mission.  He  set  out  with  many 
tokens  of  regard  on  the  part  of  these  good  people,  and  as  a  mark  of  honor  a 
party  of  them  escorted  him  for  more  than  thirty  leagues  on  his  way,  and  assisted 
him  with  his  baggage.8  Some  writers  have  supposed  that  he  took  the  route  by 
the  Desplaines-Chicago  portage,  but  it  is  more  probable,  according  to  Mason,  that 
he  ascended  the  Kankakee,  guided  by  his  Indian  friends,  and  reached  the  Lake 
of  the  Illinois  by  way  of  the  St.  Joseph  river.  His  destination  was  St.  Ignace 
and  his  course  lay  along  the  eastern  shore,  which,  as  yet,  was  unknown  except 
through  reports  from  the  Indians.  Now  alone  with  his  two  companions,  he  pushed 
forward  with  rapidly  diminishing  strength,  until,  on  the  19th  day  of  May  the 
devoted  priest  felt  that  his  hour  had  come,  and  being  near  a  small  river,  he  asked 
to  be  placed  ashore.  Here  a  bark  shed  was  built  by  his  companions,  and  the 
dying  man  was  placed  within  its  rude  walls.  "With  perfect  cheerfulness  and 
composure,"  relates  Parkman,  "he  gave  directions  for  his  burial,  asked  their  for- 
.giveness  for  the  trouble  he  had  caused  them,  administered  to  them  the  sacrament 
of  penitence,  and  thanked  God  that  he  was  permitted  to  die  in  the  wilderness,  a 
missionary  of  the  Faith  and  a  member  of  the  Jesuit  brotherhood."  Soon  after  he 
expired,  and  was  buried  by  his  companions  at  that  place,  while  they  made  their 
way  to  St.  Ignace  with  their  sad  tidings.  Two  years  later  a  party  of  Ottawa  In- 
dians, who  were  informed  of  the  death  and  burial  place  of  Marquette,  were  pass- 
ing that  way,  found  the  grave,  opened  it,  washed  and  dried  the  bones,  and  placed 
them  in  a  box  of  birch  bark;  and  bore  them,  while  chanting  funeral  songs,  to  St. 
Ignace,  where  they  were  buried  beneath  the  floor  of  the  chapel  of  the  mission.  A 
statue  now  stands  in  a  public  place  near  the  water  front  at  the  town  of  St.  Ignace 
placed  there  in  recent  years. 

Thus  ends  the  story  of  Marquette,  who  is,  one  may  say,  the  patron  saint  of  the 
people  of  Chicago.      He  participated  with  Joliet  in   discovering  the   Chicago  river 

7  Parkman,  p.  70. 

8  Jesuit  Relations,  Vol.  59,  p.   191. 


16  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

and  looked  out  upon  its  vast  expanse  of  plain  and  forest.  He  came  again  and 
spent  a  winter  in  a  rude  cabin  on  the  river  bank,  and  from  here  passed  on  to  his 
chosen  field  of  work  where  his  last  missionary  labors  were  performed.  Memorials 
of  him  have  been  placed  all  over  the  west,  where  he  spent  the  last  two  years  of 
his  brief  but  memorable  career.  The  story  has  been  often  told  but  never  loses  its 
interest.  Let  it  be  told  in  every  Chicago  home,  and  "every  good  cause  in  this  city 
will  feel  the  beneficent  results  of  its  influence,"  in  awakening  a  pride  in  our  earliest 
annals,  "and  quickening  the  spirit  of  service  in  all  our  people."  ! 

FATHER    ALLOUEZ    A    MISSIONARY    TO    THE    ILLINOIS 

The  promise  made  by  Marquette  to  the  Illinois  Indians  did  not  long  remain 
unkept.  Father  Claude  Allouez  was  summoned  by  his  superior  to  fill  the  vacancy 
caused  by  the  death  of  Father  Marquette,  and  promptly  responded  to  the  call. 
Allouez,  with  two  companions,  embarked  in  a  canoe  at  St.  Francis  Xavier  in 
October,  1676,  just  two  years  after  Marquette  had  set  out  from  the  same  place; 
but  owing  to  the  ice  in  Green  Bay  they  were  not  able  to  reach  Lake  Michigan  until 
the  following  February.  At  length  in  April,  1677,  the  party  reached  "the  river 
that  leads  to  the  Illinois,"  that  is,  the  Chicago  river,10  where  they  met  eighty 
Indians  coming  towards  them.  The  chief  presented  a  fire  brand  in  one  hand  and 
a  feathered  calumet  in  the  other,  from  which  Allouez  discreetly  made  choice  of  the 
latter.  The  chief  then  invited  the  little  party  of  whites  to  his  village,  which  was 
some  distance  from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  "probably,"  as  Mason  says,  "near  the 
portage  where  Marquette  had  passed  the  winter"  two  years  previously.  Allouez 
remained  at  this  village  a  short  time  and  then  passed  on  to  the  Illinois  river 
mission,  which  he  reached  on  the  27th  of  April.  After  erecting  a  cross  at  the  mis- 
sion he  returned  to  Green  Bay,  as  he  had  made  the  journey,  it  seems,  "only  to 
acquire  the  necessary  information  for  the  perfect  establishment  of  the  mission." 
He  came  again  the  next  year,  but  retired  to  the  Wisconsin  Mission  in  1679  "upon 
hearing  of  the  approach  of  La  Salle,  who  believed  that  the  Jesuits  were  unfriendly 
to  him,  and  that  Allouez  in  particular  had  sought  to  defeat  his  plans."  "The  era 
of  the  discoverer  and  missionary  was  now  giving  place  to  that  of  the  explorer  and 
colonist,"  and  the  great  figure  of  Robert  Cavelier  de  La  Salle  appears  upon  the  •>• 
scene. 

EARLY     LIFE    OF    LA    SALLE  U 

At  the  time  of  his  coming  to  Canada  in  1666,  La  Salle  was  a  young  man  of 
twenty-three.  He  was  a  younger  son  of  an  honorable  old  citizen  family  in  Rouen, 
France,  where  he  was  born.  He  was  given  a  good  education  there,  showing  him- 
self especially  proficient  in  mathematics  and  the  exact  sciences.  When  he  was 
very  young  he  became  connected  with  the  Jesuits,  but  a  youth  of  his  high  spirit, 
ambition  and  energy  would  not  long  endure  the  restraint  of  that  Order,  in  which 
the  individual  is  completely  effaced.  He  left  the  Jesuits,  remaining  all  his  life, 
however,  a  good  Catholic.  As  he  was  deprived  by  law  of  his  inheritance,  on  ac- 

»  E.  J.  James. 

10  Mason,  pp.  44-50. 

11  Parkman,    Chaps.    I   and    II. 


Photogrraph  by  A.  \V.  Watriss 

MONUMENT  TO   MARQUETTE   AT   SUMMIT,   ILLINOIS 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  17 

count  of  his  connection  with  the  Jesuits,  he  determined  to  go  to  Canada,  perhaps 
even  then  fascinated  by  the  dreams  which  later  urged  him  to  accomplish  the  ex- 
ploration of  the  Mississippi  River.  With  a  small  allowance  he  came  to  Montreal 
in  1666.  At  that  time  the  Seminary  of  St.  Sulpice,  a  conservative  body  of  ecclesi- 
astics, was  proprietor  and  feudal  lord  of  Montreal,  and  was  granting  out  lands  on 
the  St.  Lawrence  River,  above  Montreal,  to  settlers,  whose  holdings  would  make 
a  continuous  line  of  habitation  which  would  form  an  outpost  to  give  warning  of  a 
possible  attack  of  the  Iroquois.  On  one  of  these  tracts  of  land,  about  nine  miles 
from  Montreal,  La  Salle  settled,  and  began  clearing  ground  and  building  on  his 
seigniory,  which  was  later  called  La  Chine  by  some  of  La  Salle's  men,  it  is  said, 
in  derision  of  his  dreams  of  finding  a  westward  approach  to  China.  He,  in  turn, 
granted  pieces  of  land  to  settlers,  laying  out  a  village  and  a  common. 

LA     SALLE     HEARS     REPORT     OF     THE     OHIO 

Here  came  Indians  to  him,  Seneca  Iroquois  (now  peaceable  on  account  of  a 
treaty),  and  told  him  about  "a  river,  called  the  Ohio,  rising  in  their  country,  and 
flowing  into  the  sea,  but  at  such  a  distance  that  its  mouth  could  only  be  reached 
after  a  journey  of  eight  or  nine  months."  This  aroused  him — it  might  be  a  means 
of  getting  to  China.  He  resolved  to  explore  this  river,  and  went  to  the  governor, 
Courcelle,  and  the  intendant,  Talon,  with  his  plan.  They  gave  their  approval  and 
authority  for  making  the  expedition,  but  furnished  no  financial  aid.  To  raise  the 
money  La  Salle  sold  his  land  with  its  improvements  back  to  the  Sulpitian  Seminary, 
and  having  now  the  means  to  do  so,  he  engaged  fourteen  men,  and  bought  four 
canoes  and  supplies  for  the  journey.  In  July,  1669,  he  started  from  La  Chine  in 
company  with  another  party  in  charge  of  two  priests  from  the  Seminary — Dollier, 
who  was  in  search  of  heathen  converts,  and  Galinee,  who  knew  how  to  survey  and 
could  make  a  map  of  the  route.  The  combined  parties  comprised  twenty-four  men 
with  their  canoes,  having  with  them  some  Indians  as  guides. 

Coasting  along  the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Ontario,  they  were  met  by  some  In- 
dians who  took  La  Salle  and  a  few  of  the  men  to  their  village.  Being  unable  to 
procure  guides  there  to  go  with  him  to  the  Ohio,  La  Salle  left  this  village,  and 
the  party  continued  their  way  along  the  shore  of  the  lake.  Farther  along  he 
found  Indian  guides  who  assured  him  that  the  Ohio  could  be  reached  in  six  weeks. 
At  the  same  place  he  met  Louis  Joliet  returning  to  Quebec  after  an  unsuccessful 
attempt  to  discover  and  explore  the  copper  mine  district  of  Lake  Superior.  Joliet 
showed  the  priests  of  the  party  his  map  of  those  parts  of  the  Upper  Lake  region 
which  he  had  visited.  The  priests  immediately  decided  to  go  northward  to  carry 
their  religion  to  the  Indians  of  whom  Joliet  told  them,  though  La  Salle  remon- 
strated against  such  a  detour.  Finding  the  priests  determined,  he  invented  a 
pretext  for  amicably  parting  with  them  and  continued  on  his  own  way  toward  the 
Ohio.  Of  his  adventures  during  the  next  two  years,  little  is  known  except  that  he 
discovered  the  Ohio  River,  and  learned  enough  of  the  country  farther  west  to 
form  broad  plans  of  exploration.  Returning,  he  found  a  cordial  supporter  of  his 
plans  and  purposes  in  Count  Frontenac,  the  Governor;  and  soon  after  he  went  to 
France  to  obtain  official  countenance  and  aid,  in  which  he  was  successful.  He 
was  granted  a  seigniory  at  the  entrance  to  Lake  Ontario,  where  he  built  a  fort 

Vol.  1—2 


18  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

which  he  called  Fort  Frontenac,  and  which  he  used  as  the  base  of  operations  fi 
his  expeditions  into  the  far  West.     He   found  it  necessary  to  visit   France  agai 
and   this  time  he  obtained   authority    from  the   King   "to   make  discoveries   and 
build  forts  in  the  western  parts  of  New  France,  through  which  it  was  believed 
way  might  be  found  to  Mexico." 

Returning  to  Canada,  in  September,  1678,  with  a  small  army  enlisted  in  h 
service,  he  made  his  plans  to  reach  and  occupy  the  land  of  the  Illinois.  One  < 
his  officers,  whom  he  brought  with  him  from  France,  was  the  celebrated  Henri  < 
Tonty,  who  had  been  in  the  French  military  service,  and  became  La  Salle's  mo 
devoted  friend  and  trusted  lieutenant.  Tonty  was  a  Neapolitan  who  had  enlisti 
in  the  army  of  France  and  fought  bravely  in  her  wars.  During  one  campaij 
he  had  lost  a  hand,  in  place  of  which  he  had  one  of  iron,  which  he  usually  wo 
gloved.  Much  might  be  said  in  praise  of  his  devotion  to  La  Salle,  his  splend 
courage  and  resourceful  perseverance.  He  was  an  invaluable  aid  in  his  abili 
to  command  an  expedition  made  up  of  mutinous  Frenchmen  and  grumbling  priest 
and  it  was  he  who  was  best  able  to  placate  Indians  who  were  hostile  or  suspiciov 
Among  them  the  severe  blows  occasionally  dealt  by  his  iron  hand  gave  him 
reputation  as  a  powerful  "medicine  man,"  for  they  did  not  know  how  he  cou 
strike  so  hard.  In  his  memoir,  which  is  so  simply  written  that  the  reader  won 
scarcely  suspect  the  importance  of  Tonty 's  part  in  the  expedition,  his  account  of  t 
attempts  to  establish  French  supremacy  throughout  the  country  drained  by  t 
Mississippi  and  its  tributaries,  is  direct  and  matter-of-fact.1 2 

LA  SALLE'S  FIRST  ATTEMPT  TO  REACH  THE  MISSISSIPPI 

Having  learned  from  messengers  sent  forward  the  previous  year  that  copp 
had  been  discovered  in  the  far  West,  and  that  buffalo  skins  were  to  be  obtained 
large  quantities  in  the  Illinois  country,  La  Salle  ordered  a  party  to  "set  out 
canoes  laden  with  valuable  merchandise"  to  establish  trade  relations  with  the  I 
dians.  The  usual  route  to  the  West  at  this  time  was  by  way  of  the  Ottawa  riv( 
thence  by  a  portage  to  French  river,  passing  into  Georgian  Bay  and  so  on 
Sault  Ste.  Marie  and  St.  Ignace.  A  second  party  was  dispatched  a  short  til 
later  to  proceed  by  way  of  the  Niagara  portage  through  Lake  Erie.  The  Fren 
knew  from  the  Indians  that  there  was  a  portage  at  Niagara,  but  had  been  debarr 
from  its  use  by  reason  of  the  hostility  of  the  Five  Nations.  Frontenac,  howev( 
had  temporarily  subdued  their  enmity,  and  La  Salle's  party  was  the  first  to  ma 
use  of  the  Niagara  portage.  Father  Louis  Hennepin,  a  Recollet  priest,  accoi 
panied  this  second  party  and  was  "the  historian  of  the  expedition  and  a  conspicuo 
actor  in  it."  La  Salle,  with  the  rest  of  his  force,  was  to  follow  as  soon  as  he  coy 
finish  his  preparations.  On  their  way  up  the  Niagara  river  Hennepin  with  his  par 
saw  the  falls  and  thus  became  the  first  of  Europeans  to  behold  the  mighty  catarn 
of  which  he  wrote  the  earliest  description.  La  Salle  and  Tonty  soon  followed  ai 
established  a  fortified  post  on  the  Niagara  river.  The  winter  had  now  set  in,  ai 
the  time  was  employed  to  build  a  small  sailing  vessel  of  about  forty-five  tons  f 
use  on  the  upper  lakes,  which  La  Salle  named  the  Griffin.  It  was  not  until  Align: 
1679,  that  he  set  sail  on  Lake  Erie  and  in  due  time  reached  Mackinac,  where 

12  "Illinois  Historical  Collections,"  Vol.  I,  p.  128. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  19 

was  surprised  to  find  his  first  party,  "whom  he  had  supposed  to  have  long  since 
established  themselves  among  the  Illinois."  On  reaching  Green  Bay  he  met 
Michael  Ako,  his  advance  messenger  to  the  Illinois  country,  who  was  returning 
with  a  quantity  of  peltries.  These  he  loaded  on  the  Griffin  and  started  her  back 
to  the  Niagara  river  commanding  that  she  return  to  Mackinac  for  orders,  while 
he  himself  "pushed  on  with  fourteen  men  along  the  western  shores  of  Lake  Mich- 
igan, called  by  him  Lake  Dauphin."  They  coasted  the  shore  of  the  lake  just  as 
Marquette  had  done  five  years  before,  with  much  the  same  experience  from  storms 
and  exposure  to  cold. 

At  length  La  Salle  and  his  party  reached  the  shore  of  the  "land  of  the  Illinois," 
but  he  made  no  pause  at  the  Chicago  river  other  than  possibly  a  night  encamp- 
ment in  its  vicinity.  He  had  formed  the  plan  to  reach  the  Mississippi  by  way  of 
the  St.  Joseph  river,  and  therefore  he  passed  around  the  southern  shore  of  the  lake 
to  the  mouth  of  that  river,  where  now  is  located  the  city  of  St.  Joseph.  Here  Tonty, 
with  his  party  of  twenty  men,  who  had  been  left  at  St.  Ignace  with  orders  to  pro- 
ceed to  this  point  along  the  eastern  shore,  was  to  have  met  him;  but  many  days 
elapsed  before  he  appeared.  The  Griffin,  which  had  also  been  ordered  to  meet 
him  at  this  point  (as  soon  as  she  had  returned  from  Niagara),  did  not  appear  at  all. 
In  fact,  the  Griffin  had  been  lost  with  all  her  precious  cargo  of  furs  soon  after 
La  Salle  had  parted  from  her,  though  the  unfortunate  pathfinder  did  not  learn  of 
this  until  long  afterward. 

It  was  now  the  beginning  of  December.  The  winter  was  at  hand,  the  streams, 
as  yet  open,  would  soon  be  frozen;  and  there  was  urgent  need  for  a  forward  move- 
ment if  the  Illinois  river  was  to  be  reached  that  season.  After  vainly  waiting  nearly 
three  weeks  for  the  missing  vessel,  La  Salle,  with  his  party,  now  consisting  of 
thirty-three  men,  ascended  the  St.  Joseph  river  about  thirty  miles,  where  they 
found  the  portage  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Kankakee,  near  the  present  city  of 
South  Bend.  In  due  time  they  arrived  at  the  great  town  of  the  Illinois  Indians, 
near  the  present  village  of  Utica,  where  Marquette's  mission  of  La  Conception 
had  been  established  several  years  before.  They  found  the  village  entirely  unoccu- 
pied, the  Indians  being  absent  on  their  winter  hunt.  They  pushed  on,  therefore, 
until  they  reached  the  point  where  the  city  of  Peoria  now  stands,  and  found  an- 
other Indian  village.  There  La  Salle  lost  six  of  his  men  by  desertion;  for,  as  Park- 
man  remarks,  it  was  to  the  last  degree  difficult  to  hold  men  to  their  duty  when 
once  they  were  fairly  in  the  wilderness,  freed  from  the  usual  restraints  of  civiliza- 
tion. A  spirit  of  lawlessness  often  broke  out  among  them,  and,  attracted  by  a  life 
of  unbridled  license,  they  would  become  in  manners  and  habits  assimilated  to  the 
savages  among  whom  they  chose  to  dwell.  In  this  way,  hundreds  of  Frenchmen  dis- 
appeared in  the  forest,  where  they  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  One  ob- 
server who  knew  the  character  of  the  French,  said  of  them  that  "it  was  much  easier 
for  a  Frenchman  to  learn  to  live  like  an  Indian  than  for  an  Indian  to  learn  to  live 
like  a  Frenchman."  ls 

LA  SALLE'S  RETURN  TO  CANADA  FOR  SUPPLIES 

Near  this  village  La  Salle  erected  a  palisaded  defense  which  he  called  Fort 
Crevecoeur,  and  set  his  men  to  construct  a  vessel  for  carrying  the  party  down  the 

13  The  Settlement  of  Illinois,  p.  n. 


20  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

Mississippi.  Needing  equipment  for  the  vessel,  he  determined  upon  making  a 
return  journey  to  Lake  Michigan;  and  set  out,  accompanied  by  four  Frenchmen 
and  an  Indian,  expecting  to  procure  the  necessary  articles  from  the  Griffin,  which 
he  fondly  hoped  was  awaiting  him  at  the  St.  Joseph.  On  his  arrival  there  he  be- 
came assured  of  the  fate  of  the  vessel,  and  at  once  decided  on  making  a  journey 
to  Canada  for  the  purpose  of  renewing  his  outfit.  Taking  with  him  three  followers, 
he  pushed  onward  through  the  unknown  wilds  of  southern  Michigan,  and  after  a 
most  arduous  journey  he  at  length  reached  Fort  Frontenac,  on  the  6th  of  May, 
1680,  having  been  sixty-five  days  on  the  way.  At  Frontenac  news  reached  La  Salle 
of  what  had  taken  place  since  his  departure  from  Fort  Crevecoeur.  It  seems  that 
Tonty  had  gone  up  the  Illinois  with  a  part  of  his  force  for  the  purpose  of  build- 
ing a  fort  on  the  Rock  of  St.  Louis,  now  called  "Starved  Rock,"  in  pursuance  of 
La  Salle's  plans  and  instructions.  A  mutiny  breaking  out  among  the  men  left 
behind,  they  had  wantonly  destroyed  the  tools  and  provisions  that  had  been  brought 
there  at  such  great  labor  and  expense,  and  the  mutineers  had  set  out  to  return  to 
Canada.  Some  of  the  men,  however,  remained  true  to  their  duty,  joined  Tonty  up 
the  river,  and  thus  apprised  him  of  what  had  happened. 

TONTY   ESCAPES    FROM    DANGERS    AMONG   THE    ILLINOIS 

Just  at  that  time  there  was  an  Iroquois  invasion  of  the  Illinois  Country,  and 
Tonty  was  obliged  to  retire ;  which  he  did  by  way  of  Chicago  and  along  the  west 
shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  reaching  Green  Bay  in  December.  This  was  Tonty's 
first  visit  to  the  site  of  Chicago,14  a  place  he  passed  often  in  later  years.  While 
La  Salle  was  making  his  preparations  for  a  return  to  the  Illinois  Country,  mes- 
sengers arrived  with  the  news  that  the  mutineers  from  Crevecoeur  were  on  the  way. 
La  Salle  made  his  plans  to  intercept  them,  which  he  did  as  they  were  nearing 
Frontenac,  killing  two  and  making  prisoners  of  the  others.15  Still  hoping  that 
Tonty  was  keeping  a  foothold  on  the  Illinois — for  he  had  not  heard  of  his  retire- 
ment to  Green  Bay — ,  he  set  out  on  the  10th  of  August,  with  a  fresh  body  of  men 
and  supplies  to  reinforce  his  faithful  lieutenant. 

LA  SALLE'S  FIRST  SIGHT  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI 

La  Salle  arrived  again  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph  river  on  the  4th  of  No- 
vember, where,  leaving  a  part  of  his  force,  he  anxiously  pushed  on  with  six  French- 
men and  an  Indian.  Passing  over  the  portage  he  descended  the  Kankakee,  hear- 
ing nothing  of  Tonty  on  the  way.  On  the  Illinois  river  he  saw  the  ruin  and  desola- 
tion caused  by  the  recent  Iroquois  invasion,  and,  arriving  at  the  Rock  of  St.  Louis, 
where  he  hoped  to  find  Tonty,  he  found  no  signs  of  an  occupation  by  the  French.  As- 
tonished and  confounded,  he  passed  on  to  Fort  Crevecoeur  looking  for  signs  of  his 
friend  on  the  way.  At  the  fort  there  were  only  the  ruins  of  the  structure  which 
he  had  left  in  the  early  spring.  No  Indians  were  visible,  no  tidings  of  Tonty, — • 
only  the  vessel  left  on  the  stocks,  fortunately  uninjured.  Still  hoping  to  find  his 
Frenchmen  he  descended  the  river  to  its  mouth,  where  on  the  7th  of  December,  he 

14  Mason,  p.  108. 

15  Parkman,   pp.   188-197. 


Prom  "The  Indian  and  The  Northwest" 

ROBERT  CAVELIER  DE  LA  SALLE 

Explorer  and  colonist,  who  in  1679  entered 
the  land  of  the  Illinois,  in  his  explorations 
to  find  a  route  to  Mexico. 


HENRI  DE  TONTI 


From  photograph  taken  for  this  history 

STARVED  ROCK 

Upon  this  cliff  La  Salle  and  Tonti  erected  a  fort  in  1682.  which  they  named  Fort  St. 
Louis.  For  twenty  years  the  fort  was  used  as  a  military  post,  then  as  a  traidng  post,  and 
finally  burned  by 'the  Indians  in  1718.  In  1769  a  band  of  Illinois  Indians  who  had  sought 
refuse  on  the  cliff  from  the  attacks  of  hostile  Indians  were  besieged  for  twelve  days.  when, 
destitute  of  food  and  drink,  they  made  a  gallant  but  hopeless  and  unsuccessful  sortie  in 
which  they  were  massacred.  From  the  catastrophe  the  cliff  takes  its  name.  Starved  Rock. 
The  tracts  of  land  in  which  Starved  Rock  is  located  was  in  1911  purchased  by  the  state  or 
Illinois  to  be  used  as  a  state  park. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  21 

saw  before  him  the  broad  current  of  the  Mississippi,  the  "object  of  his  day-dreams, 
the  destined  avenue  of  his  ambition  and  his  hopes."  But  though  this  was  La 
Salle's  first  view  of  the  great  river  he  had  no  time  for  reflection,  and  the  prow 
of  his  canoe  was  turned  northward.  On  the  llth,  he  had  again  reached  the  Rock 
of  St.  Louis  where  he  had  left  three  of  his  men  concealed  on  an  island  in  the  river. 
These  men  rejoined  him  with  their  canoe  and  thus  they  pushed  on  to  the  junction 
of  the  Kankakee  and  Desplaines.  At  this  time  the  great  comet  of  that  year  was 
visible  in  all  its  splendor,  and  night  after  night  the  men  watched  it  as  it  reached 
its  culmination,  and  during  the  following  month  as  it  slowly  faded  away.10 

La  Salle  felt  sure  by  this  time  that  Tonty  had  passed  north  by  way  of  the  Des- 
plaines, then  called  the  Divine  river  (having  been  so  named  by  Joliet),  and  began 
the  ascent  of  this  river.  The  winter  being  then  far  advanced,  and  the  smaller  stream 
closed  by  ice,  on  the  6th  of  January,  1681,  he  left  two  of  his  men  with  a  great  part 
of  his  equipment  at  a  point  a  few  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Desplaines,  and 
proceeded  on  foot  with  his  five  remaining  men.  Turning  in  the  direction  of  St. 
Joseph  he  crossed  the  open  country,  through  heavy  snows,  and  at  the  end  of  Janu- 
ary he  was  again  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph,  but  did  not  find  Tonty;  who,  as 
we  have  seen,  had  gone  north  three  -months  before  by  way  of  the  Chicago  portage 
and  along  the  west  shore  of  the  lake. 

LA  SALLE    FINDS   TONTY 

At  Fort  Miami,  the  name  given  by  La  Salle  to  the  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  St. 
Joseph,  he  found  the  men  and  supplies  he  had  left.  Here  he  was  told  by  a  wan- 
dering Indian  that  Tonty  was  no  more,  that  he  had  been  burned  at  the  stake  by 
the  Illinois  Indians.  This  falsehood,  deliberately  contrived  by  his  enemies,  was 
the  last  and  bitterest  drop  added  to  La  Salle's  cup  of  sorrow.  However,  his 
first  duty  was  to  return  to  the  men  whom  he  had  left  on  the  Desplaines ;  and  ac- 
cordingly he  set  forth  on  the  1st  of  March  with  all  of  his  men,  including  those 
who  had  been  left  at  Fort  Miami,  traveling  on  snow  shoes.  He  encountered  some 
Indians  who  had  lately  been  at  Green  Bay  and  who  informed  him  that  Tonty  was 
safe  and  well.  This  good  news  animated  La  Salle  and  his  party  with  fresh  ambi- 
tion, and  soon  after  he  found  his  men  on  the  Desplaines,  the  greater  part  of  the 
reunited  force  returning  to  Miami.  La  Salle  sent  a  party  to  Mackinac  to  communi- 
cate with  Tonty  and  request  him  to  come  to  that  point,  where  La  Salle  could  meet 
him.  The  message  was  good  news  to  Tonty,  who  had  believed  that  La  Salle  was 
dead.  After  making  some  important  agreements  with  the  Indians  La  Salle  him- 
self departed  for  Mackinac,  where,  on  the  4th  of  June,  1681,  the  two  heroes  who 
had  parted  "more  than  fourteen  months  before  and  had  believed  each  other  dead, 
greeted  one  another  as  if  they  had  returned  from  the  spirit  land." 

A     THIRD     EXPEDITION     IS    SUCCESSFUL 

It  was  now  necessary  that  La  Salle  should  go  to  Fort  Frontenac  to  procure  a 
fresh  outfit,  on  which  journey  he  was  accompanied  by  Tonty.  In  the  early  au- 
tumn another  start  was  made,  the  third  beginning  of  his  cherished  enterprise;  and 

16  Mason,   p.  92. 


22  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

late  in  the  season  he  was  once  more  at  the  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph 
river.  Here  he  found  a  few  Indians  whom  he  added  to  his  twenty-three  French- 
men, and  thus  proceeded  with  a  total  of  fifty  persons  in  the  expedition.  Instead, 
however,  of  ascending  the  St.  Joseph,  as  he  had  done  on  his  two  previous  journeys, 
he  set  out  along  the  shore  of  the  lake  to  the  Chicago  river,  where  he  and  his  party 
arrived  in  the  dead  of  winter.  The  stream  was  frozen,  so  they  made  sledges,  on 
which  were  placed  the  canoes  and  baggage;  crossed  from  the  Chicago  to  the  Des- 
plaines,  and  filed  in  a  long  procession  down  its  frozen  course.  At  length  they 
reached  the  open  water  below  Lake  Peoria.17 

La  Salle  abandoned  his  idea  of  building  a  vessel  for  the  navigation  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, resolving  to  trust  to  his  canoes  alone.  "They  embarked  again,  floating 
prosperously  down  between  the  leafless  forests  that  flanked  the  tranquil  river;  till, 
on  the  6th  of  February,  1682,  they  issued  upon  the  majestic  bosom  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi." 

Following  the  river  in  its  southward  flow  they  passed  the  Indian  village  which 
was  the  limit  of  Joliet's  exploration,  and  "with  every  stage  of  their  adventurous 
progress  the  mystery  of  this  vast  New  World  was  more  and  more  unveiled."  At 
length  the  party  issued  forth  upon  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  La  Salle's  grand  work 
was  accomplished ;  the  Mississippi  was  now  explored  from  its  upper  waters  to 
its  mouth,  a  distance  of  more  than  two  thousand  miles.  A  column  containing  an 
inscription  was  set  up  on  a  spot  of  dry  ground,  there  was  a  salute  by  a  volley  of 
musketry,  and  the  occasion  was  solemnized  by  religious  services.  The  date  given 
on  the  column  was  April  9,  1682.  "On  that  day,"  says  Parkman,  "the  realm  of 
France  received  on  parchment  a  stupendous  accession.  The  fertile  plains  of  Texas; 
the  vast  basin  of  the  Mississippi,  from  its  frozen  northern  springs  to  the  sultry  bor- 
ders of  the  Gulf;  from  the  woody  ridges  of  the  Alleghanies  to  the  bare  peaks  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains;" — all  this  territory  passed  beneath  the  sceptre  of  the  King 
of  France.  La  Salle  bestowed  upon  this  vast  domain  the  name  of  Louisiana  in  honor 
of  the  French  King. 

La  Salle  now  began  retracing  his  course,  and  after  many  hardships  he  and  his 
party  safely  reached  Mackinac,  by  way  of  Fort  Miami,  in  September;  but  only 
to  remain  long  enough  to  recuperate  from  the  effects  of  "a  deadly  disease"  which 
had  attacked  him  while  on  the  Mississippi.  He  did  not  attempt  to  make  the  jour- 
ney to  Quebec,  as  he  was  in  no  condition  to  endure  the  hardships  incident  thereto, 
though  it  would  have  been  for  his  interest  to  have  done  so.  But  later  in  the  fall, 
finding  himself  much  improved  in  health,  he  started  again  for  the  Illinois  Country 
to  rejoin  Tonty. 

FORT    ST.     LOUIS 

By  the  2nd  of  December,  1682,  La  Salle  was  back  once  more  on  the  St.  Joseph 
river  and  later  in  the  month  had  arrived  at  Ft.  Crevecoeur.  La  Salle  and  Tonty 
now  determined  to  establish  their  fort  and  settlement  at  the  Rock  of  St.  Louis, 
and  early  in  January  of  1683,  they  began  the  work  of  fortifying  its  summit.  Pali- 
sades and  redoubts  were  constructed,  with  dwellings  and  storehouses  within  the 
enclosure  at  the  summit.  In  March  the  work  was  completed  and  the  royal  ensign 
of  France  was  unfurled  above  the  walls  of  Fort  St.  Louis. 

17  Parkman,   pp.   276-288.  • 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  23 

Owing  to  a  change  in  the  governorship,  by  which  La  Barre  had  succeeded  Fron- 
tenac,  La  Salle's  improved  prospects  had  become  clouded  again.  La  Barre  com- 
missioned an  officer  to  proceed  to  the  Illinois  and  relieve  La  Salle,  and  take  pos- 
session of  the  fort  which  the  latter  had  after  so  many  years  of  titanic  effort  built 
and  occupied.  This  officer  was  Olivier  Morel  de  La  Durantaye,  who  had  been 
a  captain  in  one  of  the  "crack  regiments"  of  France.  His  commission  recited  that 
he  had  been  selected  because  he  was  a  man  of  experience,  worth  and  approved 
wisdom.  During  the  succeeding  spring  and  summer  La  Salle  had  gathered  around 
him  four  thousand  or  more  Miami  and  Illinois  Indians  to  oppose  the  advance  of 
another  Iroquois  invading  force.  The  Miamis  had  retired  from  their  usual  dwell- 
ing places  near  the  St.  Joseph  river,  had  coasted  along  the  southern  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan  and  swarmed  over  the  Chicago  and  Desplaines  portage  on  their  way 
to  the  Illinois  river  fortress.  La  Salle  himself  came  up  to  Chicago  from  the 
Illinois  and  for  a  time  inhabited  a  log  house  enclosed  by  a  little  stockade.  "This 
was  the  first  known  structure  of  anything  like  a  permanent  character  upon  the 
site  of  Chicago,  and  the  first  habitation  of  white  men  there  since  Marquette's  en- 
campment in  the  winter  of  1674."  From  here  La  Salle  forwarded  a  letter  to 
the  Governor  dated,  "Du  portage  de  Chicagou,  4  Juin,  1683,"  which  is,  as  Mason 
says,  "probably  the  first  document  wholly  written  at  that  place,  and  comes  next 
in  point  of  time  to  that  portion  of  Marquette's  journal  actually  indited  there." 

LA    SALLE    AT    CHICAGO 

La  Salle's  previous  visit  to  the  Chicago  portage  was  made  in  mid-winter,  when 
one  could  not  easily  determine  the  character  of  the  region.  On  this  occasion  he 
came  in  the  early  summer,  and  doubtless  then  prepared  or  obtained  the  facts  for 
his  description  of  the  place,  probably  written  later  in  1683.  He  says:  "The 
portage  de  Checagou  is  an  isthmus  of  land  at  forty-one  degrees  and  fifty  minutes 
north  latitude 18  to  the  west  of  the  lake  of  the  Illinois,  which  is  reached  by  a 
channel  formed  by  the  meeting  of  many  rivulets  or  rainfalls  of  the  prairie.  It 
is  navigable  about  two  leagues  to  the  border  of  the  prairie  a  quarter  of  a  league 
westward.  There,  there  is  a  little  lake  divided  into  two  by  a  beaver  dam  about  a 
league  and  a  half  in  length,  whence  there  flows  a  little  stream  which,  after  mean- 
dering half  a  league  among  the  rushes,  falls  into  the  river  Checagou,  and  by  it 
into  the  river  Illinois.  This  lake,  when  filled  by  the  great  rains  of  summer  or 
the  floods  of  spring,  flows  into  the  channel  leading  to  the  lake  of  the  Illinois,  the 
surface  of  which  is  seven  feet  lower  than  the  prairie  in  which  the  former  lake 
lies.  The  river  Checagou  does  the  same  in  the  spring  when  its  channel  is  full; 
it  discharges  by  this  little  lake  a  part  of  its  waters  into  the  lake  of  the  Illinois. 
And  at  this  time,  which  would  be  the  summer,  Joliet  says  that  a  little  canal  a 
quarter  of  a  league  long  from  this  lake  to  the  basin  which  leads  to  the  lake  of 
the  Illinois,  would  enable  barks  to  enter  the  Checagou  and  descend  to  the  sea. 
That  perhaps  might  happen  in  the  spring,  but  not  in  summer,  because  there  is  then 
no  water  in  the  river  as  far  as  Fort  St.  Louis,  where  the  navigation  of  the  Illinois 
commences  in  summer  time  and  thence  is  good  as  far  as  the  sea.  It  is  true,  there 

18  The  official  determination  of  the  latitude  is  41   degrees,   53  minutes. 


24  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

is  besides  a  difficulty  that  this  ditch  would  not  be  able  to  remedy,  which  is  that 
the  lake  of  the  Illinois  always  forms  a  bank  of  sand  at  the  entrance  of  the  channel 
leading  from  it.  And  I  greatly  doubt,  whatever  any  one  says,  whether  this  could 
be  swept  away  or  scattered  by  the  force  of  the  current  of  the  Checagou,  if  made 
to  flow  there,  since  much  stronger  ones  in  the  same  lake  have  not  been  able  to  do 
it.  Furthermore,  the  utility  of  it  would  be  small,  since  I  doubt  whether,  when  all 
was  completed,  a  vessel  would  be  able  to  ascend  against  the  great  flood  which  the 
currents  cause  in  the  Checagou  in  the  spring,  much  more  violent  than  those  of 
the  Rhone.  Then  it  would  be  for  only  a  little  time,  and  at  most  for  only  fifteen 
to  twenty  days  a  year,  after  which  there  would  be  no  more  water.  What  confirms 
me  besides  in  the  opinion  that  the  Checagou  would  not  be  able  to  keep  the  mouth 
of  the  channel  clear,  is  that  the  lake  is  full  of  ice  which  blocks  the  navigable 
openings  at  the  time  in  question,  and  when  the  ice  is  melted,  there  is  not  water 
enough  in  the  Checagou  to  prevent  the  sand  from  stopping  up  the  channel.  In- 
deed I  would  not  have  mentioned  this  matter,  if  Joliet  had  not  proposed  it,  with- 
out having  sufficiently  guarded  against  the  difficulties."  The  channel  first  spoken 
of  is  the  present  Chicago  river,  the  little  lake  is  Mud  Lake,  since  drained  away, 
and  the  then  Checagou  is  now  the  Des  Plaines,  whose  spring  floods  rushing  through 
the  Chicago  river  to  Lake  Michigan  are  but  a  thing  of  yesterday,  while  the  sand 
bar  at  the  junction  of  river  and  lake  is  not  yet  forgotten.  In  every  particular 
the  description  coincides  so  exactly  with  the  existing  or  former  characteristics  of 
the  place  that  it  alone  determines  the  location  of  the  Chicago  portage  within  the 
limits  of  the  present  city  of  the  name,  beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt. 

LA    SALLE    AT    FRENCH    COURT    APPEALS    FOR   AID 

La  Salle's  letter  of  April  2d,  1683,  to  the  Governor  1B  was  a  protest  against 
the  treatment  he  was  receiving  at  his  hands.  Tonty,  who  had  remained  at  Fort 
St.  Louis  ("Starved  Rock"),  was  obliged  to  send  word  to  his  chief  while  he  was 
still  at  the  Chicago  portage  that  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  return  to  the  Illinois 
in  order  to  defend  the  fort  against  a  threatened  attack  from  the  Iroquois,  which 
he  did.  But  Durantaye  was  on  the  way  with  the  Governor's  commission  in  his 
pocket,  while  La  Salle,  finding  no  urgent  need  of  his  presence  at  the  fort,  started 
on  a  journey  to  Quebec,  intending  to  proceed  to  France  and  make  an  appeal  in 
person  to  the  King.  On  his  way  he  met  the  advance  guard  of  Durantaye's  party 
in  charge  of  De  Baugy,  his  deputy.  This  young  officer  read  the  Governor's  orders, 
and  thus  La  Salle  found  himself  superseded.  De  Baugy  passed  on  to  the  fort, 
where  his  authority  was  acknowledged  by  Tonty,  and  La  Salle  continued  his  route 
to  the  Chicago  portage,  which  he  reached  by  the  first  of  September.  On 
that  day  he  wrote  another  letter,  dated  "at  Checagou,"  to  the  people  at  the  fort, 
advising  them  to  obey  the  new  authorities,  follow  Tonty 's  council,  and  wait  pa- 
tiently for  his  own  return.  This  was  La  Salle's  "farewell  to  the  region  in  which 
he  had  toiled  and  suffered,  hoped  and  sorrowed  in  the  cause  of  civilization  in  the 
west,  of  which  he  was  the  pioneer.  As  he  pursued  the  long  and  weary  way  which 
led  to  the  settlements  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  the  beautiful  land  of  the  Illinois  must 

19  The  original  letter  is  in  the  collection  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society,  and   has  never 
been  published. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  25 

have  been  often  in  his  thoughts.  He  never  failed  to  sound  its  praises  in  all  that 
he  wrote  thereafter.  And  it  held  a  most  important  place  in  his  future  plans, 
which  always  contemplated  his  return  thither.  But  fate  was  adverse,  and  he  never 
saw  it  more." 

Durantaye  himself  did  not  arrive  at  the  fort  on  the  Illinois,  until  May  of  the 
following  year,  and  when  he  did  at  length  do  so,  Tonty  surrendered  his  charge 
and  set  out  for  Quebec,  which  he  reached  some  time  in  September,  168-1,  after 
an  absence  of  six  years.  Meantime,  La  Salle  had  sailed  for  France,  where  as 
soon  as  the  King  heard  his  story  he  reversed  La  Barre's  action,  and  "issued  a  new 
commission  to  La  Salle  as  commandant  of  the  whole  region  from  Fort  St.  Louis 
on  the  river  of  the  Illinois"  to  Mexico.  For  Tonty,  he  ordered  to  be  sent  to  him 
the  well-deserved  commission  of  a  captain  in  the  French  army,  and  the  appoint- 
ment of  Governor  of  Fort  St.  Louis.  By  June,  1685,  Tonty  was  back  at  the  fort 
and  was  warmly  greeted  by  the  little  garrison  there.  De  Baugy  and  his  party 
then  quitted  the  fort,  thus  passing  out  of  our  history. 

La  Salle's  plans  were  now  to  obtain  ships  and  go  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi by  sea,  and  thus  open  a  water  route  to  his  proposed  settlement  on  the  Illi- 
nois. He  meant  to  establish  "a  colony  of  French  and  Indians  to  answer  the  double 
purpose  of  a  bulwark  against  the  Iroquois,  and  a  place  of  storage  for  the  furs  of 
all  the  western  tribes."  20  Having  secured  four  vessels  from  the  King  with  which 
to  reach  the  Mississippi  by  way  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  he  embarked  with  a  large 
force  with  the  intention  of  establishing  a  colony  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  as  well 
as  in  the  Illinois  Country. 

During  the  autumn  of  1685  reports  reached  Tonty  at  Fort  St.  Louis  that  La 
Salle  would  attempt  to  join  him  by  way  of  the  Gulf  and  the  Mississippi,  but  hav- 
ing received  no  official  notice  he  determined  to  go  to  Mackinac  and  learn  the 
truth  of  the  reports. 

TONTY   FINDS   A    FORT   BUILT    AT   CHICAGO 

Arriving  at  Mackinac  he  was  rejoiced  to  hear  that  La  Barre  had  been  super- 
seded by  the  Marquis  of  Denonville  as  Governor  of  New  France,  and  he  also 
learned  definitely  of  La  Salle's  expedition  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  faithful 
lieutenant  at  once  resolved  to  go  with  a  party  down  the  river  to  meet  his  chief, 
to  whom  he  felt  he  owed  his  first  duty.  He  left  Mackinac  November  30th,  1685, 
but  as  they  skirted  the  western  shore  of  the  lake,  his  party  encountered  floating 
ice  in  such  quantities  that  they  were  obliged  to  abandon  their  canoe  and  make 
their  way  along  the  shore,  which  they  traversed  on  foot,  suffering  greatly  from 
want  of  provisions  and  the  severe  weather,  until  they  at  length  arrived  at  Chicago. 
Here  they  found  a  fort,  a  new  structure,  apparently  built  during  the  previous 
summer.  A  map,  known  as  Franquelin's  map  of  1684,  however,  shows  no  fort  at 
Chicago,  although  it  indicates  the  location  of  an  Indian  village  there;  the  fort 
which  Tonty  found  had  apparently  been  built  in  the  interest  of  parties  hostile 
to  La  Salle;  for  when  Fort  St.  Louis  was  restored  to  the  latter  by  the  King's 
command,  the  royal  commission  was  construed  to  mean  that  La  Salle's  juris- 
diction no  longer  extended  to  Lake  Michigan.  The  Chicago  river,  being  one  of 

20  Parkman,  p.  292. 


26  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

the  natural  routes  to  the  interior,  had  been  selected  as  the  headquarters  of  the 
interests  hostile  to  La  Salle's  settlement  on  the  Illinois ;  and  a  fort  had  been  con- 
structed which  seems  to  have  occupied  a  different  position  from  that  of  La  Salle's 
stockade  of  1683.  Mason  thinks  that  it  was  probably  located  at  the  junction 
of  the  two  branches  of  the  Chicago  river,  and  further  says,  "this  structure  or  a 
successor  upon  the  same  site  was  doubtless  that  referred  to  more  than  a  hundred 
years  later  in  Wayne's  treaty  (Treaty  of  Greenville,  1795)  with  the  Northwestern 
Indians,  which  identifies  the  Chicago  river  as  the  place  where  a  fort  formerly  stood." 
Durantaye,  now  shorn  of  his  authority  over  the  Illinois  river,  was  placed  in  com- 
mand there,  and  this  "was  the  beginning  of  civilized  government  where  the  western 
metropolis  now  stands.  The  name  of  Olivier  Morel,  Sieur  de  La  Durantaye,  should 
be  remembered  in  this  connection  as  that  of  a  brave  and  able  officer  who  was  the 
first  commandant  at  Chicago." 

LA    SALLE     APPROACHES    MISSISSIPPI    RIVER    BY    SEA 

Returning  to  La  Salle's  expedition  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  the  four 
ships,  two  of  which  were  men-of-war,  sailed  from  Rochelle,  France,  on  the  24th 
of  July,  ICS1!.21  A-hundred  soldiers  were  enrolled,  and  besides  these  there  were 
thirty  volunteers,  including  gentlemen  and  burghers  of  condition,  five  priests,  "as 
well  as  a  number  of  girls  lured  by  the  prospect  of  almost  certain  matrimony."  For 
La  Salle's  plans  not  only  included  colonization  and  missionary  work  among  the 
savages;  he  also  intended  to  make  an  attack  on  the  Spaniards  in  Mexico. 

Joutel,  a  fellow  townsman  of  La  Salle,  a  veteran  officer  of  the  French  army, 
was  a  volunteer  in  this  expedition  and  became  its  historian, — characterized  by 
Parkman  as  "an  honest  and  intelligent  man."  Matters  went  badly,  for  the  reason, 
mainly,  that  La  Salle  did  not  certainly  know  where  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi 
was,  as  his  previous  observations  had  been  taken  for  latitude  but  not  for  longitude. 
The  fleet  passed  about  four  hundred  miles  beyond  it;  and  at  last,  the  ships  be- 
coming scattered,  La  Salle  with  his  party  of  colonists  and  soldiers  landed  to  search 
for  the  "fatal  river,"  as  Joutel  calls  it  in  his  history.  Two  of  the  ships  were  wrecked 
and  the  others  returned  to  France.  The  rest  of  the  story  is  told  by  Joutel,  who 
remained  with  him  to  the  last. 

DEATH    OF    LA   SALLE 

A  fort  was  built  near  the  shores  of  the  Gulf,  and  from  this  as  a  base  La  Salle 
made  excursions  in  different  directions  to  find  the  Mississippi,  but  his  efforts  were 
unavailing.  The  river  could  not  be  found.  At  last  he  told  off  a  party  of  men  with 
which  he  started  to  reach  the  Illinois  Country  overland.  In  the  party  he  left 
behind  were  all  the  women  who  had  thus  far  survived  the  terrible  hardships,  to  the 
number  of  seven,  besides  several  children  among  the  families  of  the  colonists. 
While  still  on  the  march  northward  one  of  the  men,  believing  that  La  Salle  would 
never  able  to  reach  his  destination,  shot  him  from  ambush,  killing  him  instantly .-- 

"Thus  in  the  vigor  of  manhood,"  says  Parkman,  "at  the  age  of  forty-three,  died 


21  Ibid.,  pp.  331-351. 

22  Parkman,  p.  406. 


or's  "Narrative  and  Critical  Histcry  of  America,"  Vol.  IV 

THE  MURDER  OF  UV  SALLE 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  27 

Robert  Cavelier  de  La  Salle,"  after  more  than  twenty  years  of  travel,  discovery 
and  exploration  in  the  great  and  unknown  west ;  "without  question  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  explorers  whose  names  live  in  history." 

TONTY'S  SEARCH  FOR  LA  SALLE 

Tonty,  meantime,  in  pursuance  of  his  intention  to  meet  La  Salle,  whom  he 
expected  to  come  to  the  Illinois  by  way  of  the  Mississippi,  left  his  station  at  Fort 
St.  Louis  and  went  down  to  meet  him.  He  23  reached  the  mouth  of  the  river  and 
examined  the  shores  of  the  Gulf  a  long  distance  in  both  directions  without  finding 
the  least  trace  of  him  or  his  ships.  Returning,  he  stopped  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Arkansas,  where  he  left  a  small  party  to  look  out  for  La  Salle  if  he  should  be 
seen  ascending  the  Mississippi,  while  he  himself  went  back  to  the  Illinois.  So 
faithful  was  the  watch  kept  by  this  party  that  they  remained  a  year  on  this  for- 
lorn lookout  station.  At  last  the  wretched  survivors,  reduced  to  six  persons,  now 
in  charge  of  Joutel,  appeared  in  the  forest  on  the  opposite  shore  of  the  Arkansas 
where  Tonty 's  followers  had  established  themselves,  and  beheld  the  wooden  cross 
and  cabin  which  had  been  erected  there. 

Their  wants  were  quickly  relieved  and  soon  after  the  united  party  began  the 
ascent  of  the  Mississippi,  and  on  the  14th  of  September,  1687,  they  reached  the 
cliff  on  the  Illinois  crowned  with  the  palisades  of  Fort  St.  Louis,  and  were  wel- 
comed by  Tonty  himself.  It  was  not  until  October  of  the  following  year  that 
Joutel  and  his  party  reached  France.  Joutel  made  it  his  first  business  to  see  that 
the  party  of  colonists  left  behind  on  the  shores  of  the  Gulf  were  rescued,  but 
his  efforts  met  with  failure.  It  had  been  his  hope  that  the  King  would  send  a  ship 
to  the  relief  of  the  wretched  band,  but  Louis  XIV  hardened  his  heart  and  left 
them  to  their  fate. 

In  1689  the  viceroy  of  Mexico,  having  heard  of  the  presence  of  the  French 
on  the  shores  of  the  Gulf,  sent  a  force  to  search  for  the  colonists.  On  arriving  at 
the  spot  where  La  Salle  had  erected  his  fort  the  Spanish  found  it  deserted.  '  The 
palisades  were  broken  down;  arms,  implements  and  articles  of  every  description 
scattered  about  in  confusion.  "Here,  too,  trampled  in  mud  and  soaked  with  rain, 
they  saw  more  than  two  hundred  books,  many  of  which  still  retained  the  traces  of 
costly  bindings."  Not  a  living  soul  except  some  sullen  looking  savages  was  to  be 
seen.  At  last  they  heard  that  there  were  some  survivors  among  the  tribes  of  the 
vicinity  and  succeeded  in  finding  some  six  or  seven  of  them  living.  Of  these  only 
one  was  a  woman,  all  the  other  women  and  girls  who  had  come  out  with  the  party 
of  colonists  having  perished.  The  Spanish  procured  their  release  arid  carried 
them  back  to  Mexico,  whence  they  eventually  reached  Europe. 

Thus  ended  the  wild  and  mournful  story  of  La  Salle's  attempt  to  colonize  the 
lower  Mississippi.  Of  all  his  "toil  and  sacrifice  no  fruit  remained  but  a  great 
geographical  discovery,  and  a  grand  type  of  incarnate  energy  and  will.  Where 
La  Salle  had  ploughed,  others  were  to  sow  the  seed;  and  on  the  path  which  the 
undespairing  Norman  had  hewn  out,  the  Canadian  D'Iberville  was  to  win  for 
France  a  vast  though  a  transient  dominion."  24 

23  Ibid.,  pp.  428-446. 
"Parkman:     "La  Salle,"  p.  446. 


28  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

In  1690  Tonty  returned  to  Fort  St.  Louis  from  an  expedition  of  investigation 
down  the  Mississippi,  in  which  he  sought  information  about  the  survivors  of  La 
Salle's  last  trip  to  the  mouth  of  the  river.  There,  on  the  plain  at  the  foot  of  Fort 
St.  Louis  he  had  gathered  an  immense  encampment  of  twenty  thousand  Indians, 
which  included  tribes  hitherto  hostile  to  each  other.  The  purpose  of  this  was  for 
mutual  protection  against  the  Iroquois  and  against  the  encroachments  of  the 
English  in  extending  their  fur  trade  into  the  western  territory.  For  ten  years  Tonty 
ruled  these  Indians  with  masterly  tact,  and  so  delayed  the  coining  of  the  Iroquois 
and  the  conquest  of  the  Eiiglish.  He  alone  realized  the  importance  of  this  ter- 
ritory to  the  French  crown,  which,  however,  was  strangely  indifferent  to  his 
efforts  in  enlisting  its  interest  for  further  establishment  and  conquest.  In  1702  a 
royal  decree  ordered  the  fort  to  be  abandoned,25  and  Tonty,  disappointed  by  the 
French  but  loyal  to  them,  left  the  beautiful  rock  overlooking  miles  of  Illinois 
Country  which  was  so  dear  to  him,  and  went  to  joint  some  French  colonists  who  had 
come  with  D'Iberville  to  settle  in  Louisiana.  There  he  was  living  in  1704,  when 
the  settlement  was  almost  completely  destroyed  by  a  plague  of  yellow  fever.  While 
attending  to  the  sick  and  burying  the  dead,  Tonty  himself  became  a  victim.  The 
loyalty  of  Tonty  to  La  Salle,  his  tact  and  ability  and  his  zeal  equal  to  that  of 
La  Salle,  whose  enterprise  this  was,  make  him  a  romantic  figure,  as  charming  as 
he  was  courageous.28 

THE    WORK    OF    THE    HISTORIANS    OF    THE    PERIOD    OF    DISCOVERY 

Since  the  appearance  in  1869  of  Francis  Parkman's  "Discovery  of  the  Great 
West,"  this  work  has  held  the  first  place  as  authority  for  the  period  covered  by 
its  title.  Some  years  afterward  M.  Pierre  Margry,  director  of  the  Archives  of  the 
Marine  and  Colonies  at  Paris,  printed  a  collection  of  documents  especially  relating 
to  La  Salle,  which  he  had  for  many  years  been  gathering.  Parkman  had  been  aware 
of  the  existence  of  these  documents  in  the  French  archives,  but  had  found  them 
inaccessible  when  he  was  writing  his  history.  On  their  appearance  he  immediately 
set  about  a  thorough  revision  of  his  work  with  the  help  of  this  new  material,  at 
the  same  time  changing  the  title  to  conform  to  the  increased  prominence  which  the 
great  explorer  had  acquired  in  the  narrative.  This  revised  history  was  issued  in 
1878,  under  the  title  of  "La  Salle,  and  the  Discovery  of  the  Great  West." 

"The  most  distinctive  quality  of  Parkman's  narratives,"  says  Professor  Bourne, 
of  Yale,  "is  picturesqueness.  The  action  is  set  in  a  scene  artistically  reproduced 
from  the  author's  careful  observation.  Knowing  his  human  agents  from  personal 
study  of  the  type,  as  well  as  of  their  literary  memorials,  sensitive  to  all  the  varied 
aspects  of  nature,  and  familiar  with  each  locality,  he  visualizes  the  whole  action 
with  extraordinary  vividness.  It  passes  his  eyes  like  a  panorama.  The  natural 
scene  plays  no  such  part  in  the  work  of  any  other  historical  writer,  and  the  search 
for  such  exquisite  pictures  of  wild  nature  in  America  as  abound  in  his  pages  would 
not  be  an  easy  one,  even  in  our  voluminous  literature  of  outdoor  life  and  nature 
study."  27 

25  Parkman's  "La  Salle,"    (nth  Ed.),   p.  441. 

26  See  Henry  E.  Legler's  "Henry  de  Tonty,"  in  Parkman  Club  Papers. 

27  Bourne's  Historical  Studies. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  29 

The  value  of  Parkman's  work  to  one  writing  on  the  early  history  of  the  West 
can  well  be  imagined,  and  the  present  writer  freely  acknowledges  his  obligations 
to  that  brilliant  historian  in  this  work.  Since  Parkman  wrote,  however,  another 
historian  has  appeared  whose  work  claims  our  profound  respect  and  admiration. 
Edward  Gay  Mason,  well  known  as  a  resident  of  Chicago,  and  president  of  the 
Chicago  Historical  Society  at  the  time  of  his  death,  made  the  period  now  occupy- 
ing our  attention  the  subject  of  a  most  painstaking  chapter,  entitled  "The  Land  of 
the  Illinois."  He  had  intended,  in  his  lifetime,  to  write  a  complete  history  of  Illi- 
nois, and,  had  it  been  possible  for  him  to  have  carried  out  his  intention,  this  chap- 
ter would  have  formed  a  part  of  the  history.  "The  Land  of  the  Illinois"  was  written 
in  1896,  and,  with  some  other  papers,  was  published  in  1901  under  the  title  of 
"Chapters  From  Illinois  History."  Mason  carefully  studied  the  Margry  papers 
in  the  original  French  and  made  extensive  use  of  the  valuable  material  contained 
in  them.  A  wide  range  of  authorities,  both  English  and  French,  was  also  con- 
sulted by  him  in  the  preparation  of  his  treatise,  making  his  work  one  of  the  most 
useful  and  entertaining  productions  of  recent  years.  While  there  are  many  whose 
works  have  been  consulted  by  the  writer  of  this  history,  none  has  inspired  greater 
confidence  in  its  accuracy  and  reliability  than  the  work  of  Mason. 

THE    FIVE    NATIONS 

The  Iroquois  Indians,  so  often  spoken  of  in  all  histories  of  the  West  in  early 
times,  had  their  habitation  in  the  central  part  of  New  York  state.  The  name 
Iroquois  was  a  general  term  for  the  confederacy  known  as  the  Five  Nations.  This 
confederacy  or  league  was  the  work  of  genius,  and  it  possessed  one  of  the  highest 
forms  of  government,  next  to  the  Aztecs,  found  on  this  continent  by  the  discoverers. 
"In  its  conception,  in  its  details,  and  in  its  execution,"  says  Dellenbaugh,  "it  was 
one  of  the  most  extraordinary  primitive  governments"  of  which  we  have  any  rec- 
ord. "From  a  comparatively  weak  people,  it  placed  the  Iroquois,  though  they 
were  far  inferior  in  numbers  to  surrounding  tribes,  in  a  commanding  position,  and 
enabled  them  to  extend  their  sway  over  a  vast  territory.  They  made  no  attempt 
to  hold  the  region  that  was  subject  to  their  devastation,  but  probably,  had  not 
the  European  appeared  on  the  scene,  they  would  have  gradually  expanded  until 
their  villages  covered  many  times  the  area  which  they  specifically  claimed  when  our 
people  first  came.  An  increase  of  population  which  would  have  overtaxed  the 
game  supply  would  have  pushed  the  development  of  their  agriculture  and  forced 
the  confederacy  to  move  along  higher  and  broader  lines.  One  great  drawback  to 
Indian  progress,  internecine  wars,  was  entirely  obliterated  by  the  masterly  or- 
ganization of  the  Iroquois  league,  while  at  the  same  time  they  gained  by  their 
union  a  strength  for  offense  and  defense  that,  together  with  their  fertile  and  well- 
watered  domain,  rendered  their  organization  impregnable.  ...  It  only  re- 
mained for  these  Indians  to  discover  the  secrets  of  smelting  and  forging,  and  they 
were  apparently  on  the  brink  of  these  discoveries,  to  step  into  a  foremost  place  of 
development  and  progress." 

To  this  quotation  from  Dellenbaugh's  "North  Americans  of  Yesterday,"  may 
be  added  the  following  from  Mrs.  Van  Rensselaer's  recently  issued  "History  of  the 
Citv  of  New  York  in  the  Seventeenth  Century:" 


30  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

"As  the  early  French  missionaries  at  once  perceived,  they  [the  Iroquois]  were 
the  most  ferocious,  ambitious  and  intelligent  of  the  aborigines;  and  their  station 
gave  them  full  chance  to  profit  by  their  energies.  Commanding  important  routes 
from  east  to  west  and  from  north  to  south.  .  .  .  They  sent  their  war  parties 
so  widely  and  so  successfully  afield  that  they  ruled  or  intimidated  the  other  tribes 
from  Maine  to  the  Mississippi,  and  southward  to  the  Savannah  and  the  Tennessee. 
Yet  even  in  the  days  of  their  greatest  strength  and  power,  during  the  first  half  of 
the  seventeenth  century,  when  they  had  procured  firearms  from  the  white  men,  they 
numbered  not  more  than  four  thousand  warriors,  twenty  thousand  souls  in  all. 
Twice  as  many  of  their  descendants,  it  has  been  computed,  now  survive  in  and  near 
the  State  of  New  York." 

THE    TRIBE    OF    ILLINOIS    INDIANS 

The  Illinois  Indians,  from  whom  our  state  takes  its  name,  were  a  numerous 
tribe,  and  were  first  met  with  by  Father  Allouez  on  Lake  Superior  about  1665, 
where  they  had  been  attracted  for  the  purpose  of  trading28  and  to  take  part  in  a 
council  to  which  the  French  had  invited  several  tribes.  As  we  have  seen,  Joliet 
and  Marquette  again  met  them  while  descending  the  Mississippi  on  their  voyage  of 
discovery  in  1673,  and  their  relations  with  the  French  were  uniformly  of  a  friendly 
character.  They  were  domiciled  mainly  along  the  Illinois  river,  and  "they  seem 
to  have  had  entire  control  of  all  the  northeastern  portion  of  Illinois  as  far  back 
as  any  record  can  be  found."  Mr.  Frank  R.  Grover,  in  an  address  before  the 
Evanston  Historical  Society  in  1901,  said:  "The  Chicago  portage  seems  to  have 
been  a  frequent  and  popular  rendezvous  [of  the  Illinois  Indians],  and  they  were 
so  identified  with  this  locality  that  Lake  Michigan  was  generally  known  to  the 
early  explorers  as  the  'Lake  of  the  Illinois.'  "  "The  Illinois,"  says  the  same  au- 
thority, "were  a  kindly  people ;  hospitable,  affable  and  humane.  .  .  .  They 
lived  by  hunting  and  tilling  the  soil,  raising  great  crops  of  Indian  corn  and  storing 
away  a  surplus  for  future  use;  they  were  great  travelers  by  land,  but,  unlike  most 
northern  Indian  tribes,  used  canoes  but  little.  They  had  permanent  dwellings  as 
well  as  portable  lodges;  they  roamed  many  months  of  the  year  among  the  prairies 
and  forests  of  their  great  country,  to  return  again  and  join  in  the  feasts  and  merry- 
making, when  their  whole  population  gathered  in  the  villages." 

In  September,  1680,  soon  after  La  Salle  and  Tonty  reached  the  Illinois  Country, 
the  Iroquois  attacked  the  Illinois,  and,  says  Caton,  "with  a  great  slaughter  they 
defeated  this  hitherto  invincible  people,  laid  waste  their  great  city,  and  scattered 
them  in  broken  bands  over  their  wide  domain."  The  sequel  of  their  tragic  fate 
is  related  by  Grover,  as  follows:  "During  the  succeeding  century  the  Illinois, 
broken  in  spirit,  their  courage  gone,  decimated  by  drink  and  disease  and  scattered 
by  their  enemies,  struggled  with  waning  fortunes,  ending  their  existence  in  the 
historic  tragedy  of  Starved  Rock,  about  the  year  1770,  from  which  but  eleven  of 
their  number  escaped.  An  Indian  boy,  a  Pottawattomie,  saw  the  last  remnant  of 
this  once  proud  and  powerful  nation,  brave  warriors,  their  women  and  little  chil- 
dren, huddled  together  upon  the  half  acre  of  ground  that  crowns  the  summit  of 
Starved  Rock;  saw  the  fierce  and  warlike  Pottawattomies  and  Ottawas  swarm  for 

28  H.  W.  Beckwith:     Illinois   and   Indiana   Indians,   p.   100. 


O     V     L    f          or  M     K     X     I     «' 


From  Blanchard's  "The  Northwest  and  Chicago" 

MAP  ILLUSTRATING  THE  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  NORTHWEST 


JKICJffGAff. 


INUIAKA. 


From  Northern  Indiana  Historical  Society.  I.  page  1  0 
Courtesy  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 


LOCATION  OF  ST.  JOSEPH-KANKAKEE  PORTAGE 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  31 

days  around  them;  and  perform  by  torture  of  siege  and  starvation  what  they 
could  not  do  by  force  of  arms.  When  the  little  stock  of  food  was  gone  and  despair 
drove  the  Illinois  to  make  the  last  brave  dash  for  liberty  in  the  darkness  of  the 
stormy  night,  he  heard  the  yells  and  clash  of  the  fighting  warriors  and  the  dying 
shrieks  of  the  helpless  women  and  children.  Years  afterwards,  when  this  Indian 
lad,  Meachelle,  had  grown  to  be  the  principal  chief  of  the  Pottawattomies,  he  re- 
lated these  incidents  to  Judge  Caton,  who  embodied  them  in  his  well-known  his- 
torical sketch,  'The  Last  of  the  Illinois.'  " 

Besides  the  tribes  above  mentioned,  other  tribes  from  time  to  time  occupied 
parts  of  Illinois,  among  them  the  Miamis,  Winnebagoes,  Pottawattomies,  Sacs  and 
Foxes,  and  Kickapoos.  Still  other  bands  of  less  prominence  are  met  with  in  the 
histories  of  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  of  this  region,  a  full  account  of  which  can 
be  found  in  the  late  Judge  Hiram  W.  Beckwith's  historical  sketch  published  in 
the  Fergus  Series.  Mr.  Frank  R.  Grover,  of  Evanston,  has  also  written  fully  on 
this  subject  in  a  valuable  pamphlet  entitled  "Our  Indian  Predecessors."  In  the 
opening  paragraph  of  this  treatise  the  author  says :  "Since  the  discovery  of  this 
continent  the  North  American  Indian  has  ever  been  the  subject  of  constant  study, 
discussion  and  contention.  His  origin,  his  traditions,  his  character,  his  manners 
and  customs,  his  superstitions,  his  eloquence,  the  wars  in  which  he  was  engaged,  his 
tribal  relations,  his  certain  destiny,  the  wrongs  he  has  done  and  those  he  has  suf- 
fered, have  for  four  centuries  been  favorite  themes  for  the  historian,  the  poet,  the 
philanthropist,  the  ethnologist.  And  yet,  with  all  the  countless  books  that  have  been 
written  upon  the  subject,  there  is  still  room  for  inquiry,  for  speculation,  for  his- 
torical research." 


CHAPTER  III 

-. 

CHICAGO  IN  THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY 

ORIGIN     OF     NAME     CHICAGO DISPUTED    SOURCES ESTABLISHMENT     OF     MISSIONS     ABOUT 

CHICAGO CHICAGO      PORTAGE      FALLS      INTO      DISUSE CAUSES      OF      DISUSE BRITISH 

SOVEREIGNTY     OVER     WESTERN      COUNTRY AMERICAN     CONTROL      OF      NORTHWEST 

GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK NORTHWEST  TERRITORY  FORMALLY  ORGANIZED ORDINANCE 

OF     1787 TREATY    OF    GREENVILLE "SIX    MILE    SQUARE*'    TRACT THE     BATTLE    OF 

SOUTH      CHICAGO THE      SPANISH      IN      ILLINOIS EARLY      SETTLERS ABOUT      MAPS 

AMERICAN     ABORIGINES INDIAN    TRAITS SUMMARY. 

,  HE  name  Chicago  appears  in  many  forms  of  spelling  in  old  records  and 
maps.  It  was  a  name  borne  by  the  river  as  we  know  it,  by  the  portage 
between  the  Chicago  and  Desplaines  rivers,  and  by  Indians  of  the  Illi- 
nois tribe  at  different  periods.  The  first  mention  of  the  name  seems 
to  have  been  in  Marquette's  journal  of  his  second  voyage,  under  the 
date  of  November  1,  1674,  where  he  speaks  of  an  Illinois  Indian  whom  he  met  on  the 
Sturgeon  Bay  portage  by  the  name  of  Chachagouessiou,  a  man  "greatly  esteemed 
among  his  nation."  1  Mason  considers  it  probable  that  the  name  mentioned  by 
Marquette  is  identical  with  the  name  Chicago.2  The  name  is  applied  by  Henne- 
pin,  in  his  "New  Discovery,"  to  the  fort  built  by  La  Salle  near  where  Peoria  now 
stands.  He  entitles  Chapter  XXXIV  in  his  book,  "An  Account  of  the  building  of 
a  new  fort  on  the  river  of  the  Illinois,  named  by  the  savages  Checagou,  and  by  us 
Fort  Crevecoeur."  3  It  does  not  appear,  however,  that  the  name  was  used  in  this 
connection  at  any  time  afterwards,  as  we  find  no  mention  of  it  except  in  Hennepin's 
account. 

In  some  of  the  various  forms  of  spelling  the  name  Chicago  was  applied  to  both 
the  river  and  the  locality  by  the  savages  when  the  French  first  came.  Indeed  the 
name  was  very  loosely  applied  by  the  early  chroniclers  and  map  makers,  some- 
times to  the  Desplaines,  sometimes  to  the  Illinois,  and  even  to  the  Mississippi.4 
La  Salle  was  clearly  aware  that  the  name  Checagou,  as  he  spelled  it,  belonged  to 
the  river  and  portage.  This  is  shown  in  his  letter  quoted  in  the  previous  chapter, 
In  which  he  uses  the  name  repeatedly.  The  meaning  of  the  name  in  the  language 
of  the  Indians  was  wild  onion,  a  plant  found  in  great  quantities  near  the  banks 
of  the  river.5  In  the  early  harvest  time  one  may  see  the  prairies  about  the  Chicago 

1  "Jesuit  Relations,"  Vol.   59,  p.  167. 

2  Mason's  "Land  of  the  Illinois,"  p.  32. 

8  "A   New  Discovery,"   Hennepin,   p.    170. 
4  Hurlbut  "Chicago  Antiquities,"  p.   121. 
SJ.  F.  Steward:     "Lost  Maramech,"  p.  355. 

32 


From  Kirkland's  "Story  of  Chicago."  Vol.  I 

WILD   ONION   PLANT 

The  Indian  name  for  the  wild  onion  plant  is  Chi-ca- 
gou,  from  which  word  the  name  of  the  city  of  Chicago 
probably  comes. 


, 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  33 

and  Desplaines  rivers  covered  with  the  blossoming  plants  (of  the  wild  onion)  hav- 
ing a  pale  pink  hue.  There  are  those  who  think  the  word  in  the  Algonquin  lan- 
guage— that  used  by  our  Illinois  Indians — was  the  name  of  the  small  quadruped 
scientifically  known  as  Mephitis  Americana,  or  in  less  elegant  and  cryptic  parlance, 
skunk.  The  Indian  word  for  the  latter,  however,  was  identical  with  that  for  the 
wild  onion;  a  circumstance  possibly  explained  by  the  assault  of  eacu  upon  the 
olfactories;  though  in  the  early  records  when  the  name  is  met  with  in  formal  de- 
scriptions, such  as  deeds  from  the  Indians,  reports  of  officials,  and  treaties,  it  is 
often  with  an  explanatory  addition,  as,  for  example;  Cadillac,  the  commandant  at 
Mackiiiac  in  1695,  in  making  a  report  to  the  governor  of  Canada  on  the  territory 
under  his  control,  refers  to  Chicago,  which  signifies,  he  says,  "river  of  the  onion." 

A  deed  given  by  various  tribes  to  one  William  Murray,  of  an  extensive  tract 
of  Illinois  lands,  describes  the  boundaries  in  part  as  follows:  "then  up  the  Illinois 
river,  by  the  several  courses  thereof,  to  Chicagou,  or  Garlick  Creek.8  Col.  A.  S. 
Storrow,  of  the  United  States  Army,  made  a  report  in  1817,  in  which  he  refers  to 
"the  river  Chicago,"  or  in  English,  "Wild  Onion  river."  7  La  Salle,  writing  in 
1683,  said  in  reference  to  the  portage  called  Chicagou,  "the  land  there  produces 
naturally  a  quantity  of  roots  good  to  eat,  as  wild  onions."  As  to  whether  the  word 
Chicago,  in  the  original  Indian  form,  possesses  one  or  the  other  of  the  two  mean- 
ings spoken  of,  should  be  decided  according  to  the  understanding  of  those  whose 
words  we  have  quoted  above.  "It  is  noticed,"  says  Haines,  "that  all  who  contend 
that  the  word  Chicago,  as  applied  to  the  river  and  city  of  that  name,"  has  either 
of  the  meanings  mentioned,  "derive  their  convictions  on  the  subject  from  the  mere 
coincidence  of  sounds."  It  hardly  seems  necessary  to  look  for  a  more  satisfac- 
tory derivation  of  the  name  than  that  indicated  above. 

Another  derivation  that  has  been  claimed  for  the  word  Chicago  still  remains 
to  be  noticed.  Mrs.  Kinzie,  in  "Wau-Bun,"  says  that  the  Indians  "all  agree  that 
the  place  received  its  name  from  an  old  chief,  who  was  drowned  in  the  stream  in 
former  times,"  which,  she  says,  "must  have  occurred  in  a  very  remote  period." 
There  is  no  sufficient  evidence,  however,  that  such  was  the  case.  The  late  Henry 
H.  Hurlbut,  writing  to  the  Chicago  Tribune  in  1879  (published  in  the  issue  of 
August  15),  comments  on  this  passage  from  "Wau-Bun,"  as  follows:  "This  is  a 
pretty  story  enough;  yet  Indian  gossip,  called  tradition,  is  rather  a  feeble  staff 
to  lean  upon,  particularly  where  it  reaches  back  centuries."  There  is  also  the 
name,  among  other  Indians  of  less  prominence,  of  Chicagou,  the  Illinois  chief,  who, 
in  company  with  some  other  Indians,  visited  Paris  in  1725,  and  was  distinguished 
by  a  presentation  to  the  India  Company.  8  He  was  named  in  all  probability  long 
after  the  Chicago  river  and  portage  were  known,  and,  if  it  was  not  merely  a  coin- 
cidence, the  name  given  to  the  chief  was  more  likely  derived  from  the  river  and 
locality  near  which  his  tribe  had  their  habitations,  than  vice  versa;  and  hence  it 
cannot  be  maintained  consistently  that  the  name  had  any  such  origin  as  that  from 
the  Indian  chief. 

"Chicago  is  the  oldest  Indian  town  in  the  west  of  which  the  original  name  is  re- 

6  Hurlbut,  p.  274. 

7Stennett:     "Origin  of  Place  Names,"  p.  55. 

8  Shea's  "Charlevoix,"  v.  VI,  p.  76. 


34  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

tained."  9  The  great  variety  of  forms  in  which  the  name  was  spelled  before  it 
settled  into  the  present  usage  is  shown  by  Dr.  Stennett  in  a  "few  samples,"  as  he 
humorously  calls  them,  in  his  valuable  book  entitled,  "Origin  of  Place  Names  on 
the  North-Western  Railway,"  naming  a  score  or  more  of  uncouth  combinations. 
President  John  Quincy  Adams  once  said  that  during  his  administration  no  two 
government  officers,  writing  from  Chicago,  ever  spelled  the  name  the  same  way.10 
But  the  form  in  which  the  name  is  most  frequently  met  with,  before  the  year  1 800, 
is  with  the  ending  ou,  or  with  the  character  generally  used  by  the  old  French  chron- 
iclers and  map-makers  as  an  abbreviation  for  those  two  letters.  This  character  is 
somewhat  puzzling  to  those  who  only  occasionally  encounter  it,  and  is  in  the  form 
of  a  figure  8  open  at  the  top.  For  example,  on  Marquette's  map  a  tribe  of  Indians, 
which  the  composer  has  located  somewhat  to  the  south  of  Lake  Michigan,  is  in- 
dicated by  the  name  ChaSanon  (that  is,  Shawanoes),  and  to  the  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi a  tribe  bearing  the  name  of  PeSarea  (Peorias)  ;  which  to  one  unacquainted 
with  the  significance  of  the  character  renders  it  unpronounceable.  It  is  explained 
in  a  note  by  J.  G.  Shea,  on  St.  Cosme's  "Voyage  down  the  Mississippi,"  as  follows: 
"The  names  in  this  memoir  have  suffered  greatly  in  transcription,  and  the  copyist 
seems  to  have  been  especially  bothered  by  the  8,  which  he  replaces  by  a  double  v, 
or  w,  and  sometimes  by  r  and  k.  As  a  vowel  it  corresponds  to  the  English  double 
O  (French  ou),  as  a  consonant  to  W."  This  character  often  stood  at  the  end  of 
the  name  Chicago,  being  used  in  place  of  the  final  letter  as  we  write  it. 

MISSIONARY   ACTIVITY 

In  1696,  Father  Francois  Pinet,  a  Jesuit  missionary,  founded  a  mission  which 
he  called  the  "Mission  of  the  Guardian  Angel"  at  or  near  the  Chicago  portage,  in 
order  to  work  among  the  Miami  bands  located  there.1 1  But  this  mission  was  broken 
up  in  the  following  year  through  Frontenac's  hostility  to  Jesuit  activity.  It  was, 
however,  resumed  a  year  later,  and  continued  until  1699,  when  it  was  finally  aban- 
doned. 

Father  Pinet's  "Chicago  Mission,"  as  it  was  called,  is  frequently  referred  to 
by  St.  Cosine  in  his  letter  given  by  Shea  in  his  "Early  Mississippi  Voyages."  Mr. 
Frank  R.  Grover,  who  has  made  a  careful  study  of  the  history  of  this  mission, 
locates  it  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  present  village  of  Gross  Point,  one  mile  west 
of  Wilmette,  on  the  borders  of  a  small  body  of  water.  This  small  lake  has  since 
become  a  marsh  known  at  the  present  time  as  the  "Skokie."  The  marsh  is  the 
headwaters  of  the  North  Branch  of  the  Chicago  river.  Here  St.  Cosme's  party  in 
eight  heavily  loaded  canoes,  with  the  ever-faithful  Tonty  as  protector  and  guide, 
visited  Father  Pinet  and  his  associates,  Father  Bineteau,  late  in  the  season  of 
1698,  at  their  house  "built  on  the  banks  of  the  small  lake,  having  the  lake  on  one 
side  and  a  fine  large  prairie  on  the  other."  12  This  interesting  fact  was  made  the 
subject  of  a  lecture  by  Mr.  Grover  before  a  joint  meeting  of  the  Chicago  Historical 

8Larned:  "Literature  of  American   Hsitory,"  Article   1761. 

10  Hurlbut,  p.  442.  • 

11  "Jesuit  Relations,"  64,  278. 

12  Shea:     "Early  Voyages  on  the  Mississippi,"  p.  53. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  35 

Society  and  the  Evanston  Historical  Society,  on  November  27,  1906,  and  is  pub- 
lished in  the  proceedings  of  the  former  society.13 


DECLINE    OP  THE    CHICAGO    PORTAGE 

After  the  abandonment  of  Pinet's  "Mission  of  the  Guardian  Angel"  in  1699, 
there  seems  to  have  been  no  further  activity  on  the  part  of  the  French  for  some 
years  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Chicago  portage.  The  French,  having  lowered  their 
flag  on  Fort  St.  Louis  (Starved  Rock)  in  1702,  retired  to  the  settlements  on  the 
Mississippi  where  they  had  become  established  at  Cahokia  and  Kaskaskia.14  Com- 
munication having  been  opened  between  the  Illinois  Country  and  the  lower  Mis- 
sissippi,15 the  long  and  dangerous  route  from  the  St.  Lawrence  by  way  of  the  Chi- 
cago portage  fell  into  disuse.  However,  in  1718,  one  Logan  was  sent  by  the  gov- 
ernor of  Pennsylvania  to  spy  out  the  route  of  French  trade  in  the  western  country,16 
and  he  reported  that  there  was  a  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river  called 
Fort  Miamis,  occupied  by  a  French  force.  This  report  seems  to  have  been  the 
basis  of  a  "representation"  made  by  the  English  Lords  of  Trade  to  the  King  in 
172 1,17  in  which  it  is  again  mentioned  by  the  name  of  Fort  Miamis.  About  this 
time  "the  fort  was  probably  entirely  abandoned."  18 

Indian  troubles  still  further  contributed  to  the  decline  of  the  Chicago  portage 
as  an  avenue  of  approach  from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  Illinois  Country.  Frequent 
wars  among  the  tribes  made  the  neighborhood  dangerous,19  though  the  French,  at 
length,  assisted  by  Indian  allies,  endeavored  to  maintain  order  in  the  region.20  The 
siege  of  Maramech,  near  the  present  town  of  Piano,  where  three  hundred  Indians 
of  the  Fox  Tribe  were  killed  in  1730,  was  expected  to  accomplish  this  result,  for 
the  French  commander  after  the  battle  reported  that  this  hostile  Indian  nation  had 
been  "humiliated  to  such  an  extent  that  they  will  no  more  trouble  the  earth."  (The 
spot  is  marked  by  a  massive  boulder  with  an  inscription  placed  there  by  Mr.  John 
F.  Steward,  the  author  of  an  interesting  and  valuable  book,  entitled  "Lost  Mara- 
mech.") The  Indians,  however,  became  troublesome  again,  and  the  Chicago  portage 
was  practically  a  forsaken  spot  for  several  decades  thereafter. 

It  may  here  be  remarked  in  passing  that  the  long  series  of  the  wars  of  the 
Foxes  extending  over  nearly  sixty  years,  of  which  this  massacre  was  an  episode, 
aided  materially  in  bringing  about  the  final  downfall  of  the  French  power.  The 
Fox  wars  proved  to  be  the  "entering  wedge  of  ruin  for  the  French  dominion  in 
America,"  says  Hebberd  in  his  work,  "French  Dominion  in  Wisconsin."  In  a 
paper  published  in  the  "Proceedings  of  the  State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin 
for  1907,"  Miss  Louise  Phelps  Kellogg,  a  well  informed  writer,  says:  "The  obsti- 
nate resistance  of  this  one  barbarous  tribe  in  the  forests  of  Wisconsin  changed  French 
policy  in  the  Western  Country,  weakened  French  dominion  over  her  savage  allies, 

13  Chicago  Historical  Society  Report,  1906,  p.  155. 
14 Reynolds:     "Pioneer  History  of  Illinois,"  p.  40. 

15  Shea:     "Catholic  Missions,"  p.  420. 

16  Carl  Dilg  in  "Daily  News,"  June  13,  1901. 

17  N.  Y.  Colonial  Documents,  V,  621. 

18  Andreas,  I,  79. 

19  Andreas,  I,  69;  N.  Y.  Colonial  Documents  IX,  890. 

20  Steward,  p.  235. 


36  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

and  set  in  motion  forces  that  gave  the  rivers  and  prairies  of  the  Great  West  to  the 
English  speaking  race." 

For  a  century  or  more  after  La  Salle's  last  visit  to  the  Chicago  portage  the 
center  of  interest  in  the  western  country  was  at  the  settlements  on  the  Mississippi. 
The  French  established  themselves  near  its  mouth,  and  trade  routes  sought  its 
channel,  as  the  natural  route  for  Illinois  commerce  was  down  the  Mississippi  to 
New  Orleans.  Later  in  the  eighteenth  century  emigration  began  to  flow  towards 
these  settlements  from  Virginia  and  Kentucky  by  way  of  the  Ohio.  The  Indians 
of  the  Illinois  country  were  kept  in  a  turmoil  by  reason  of  the  evil  activities  of 
the  Iroquois,  those  scourges  of  the  wilderness. 

As  there  were  several  portages  available  as  routes  of  travel  for  the  trade  that 
was  carried  on  directly  between  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the  Mississippi,  one  or  the 
other  would  be  chosen  with  regard  to  their  safety  from  molestation  by  the  savages, 
as  well  as  conditions  of  navigation.  The  route  by  way  of  the  Chicago  portage  was 
the  shortest,  but,  in  stages  of  low  water,  the  Desplaines  was  a  difficult  stream  for 
loaded  canoes,  as  its  flood  was  shallow  and  there  were  many  rapids  in  its  course. 
Thus  the  St.  Joseph  and  Kankakee  route,  though  considerably  longer,  was  often 
preferred  because  of  the  greater  facility  of  navigating  those  rivers. 

CHANGE    OF    SOVEREIGNTY 

The  seven  years'  war  between  the  English  and  French  having  terminated  by  the 
fall  of  Quebec,  a  treaty  of  peace  was  concluded  in  1763,  which  "left  France  with- 
out a  foothold  on  the  American  main."  21  By  the  terms  of  the  treaty  Great  Britain 
"acknowledged  a  limit  to  the  western  extension  of  her  seaboard  colonies,  by  accept- 
ing the  Mississippi  river  as  the  boundary  of  her  western  possession."  This 
boundary,  however,  was  disregarded  by  the  colonies  "with  their  impracticable  sea- 
to-sea  charters,"22  and  "when  the  King's  proclamation  followed,  and  the  colonies 
found  themselves  confined  to  the  sea-ward  slope  of  the  Appalachians,  their  western 
extension  made  crown  territory  to  be  given  over  to  the  uses  of  the  Indians,  and  all 
attempts  to  occupy  it  forbidden, — there  were  signs  of  discontent,"  23  which,  added 
to  the  irritation  of  the  colonists  over  the  Stamp  Act,  created  a  feeling  of  resent- 
ment among  them  which  was  one  of  the  contributing  causes  of  the  Revolutionary 
War. 

During  the  British  occupation  a  land  transaction  of  great  interest  to  the  dwell- 
ers in  the  present  city  of  Chicago  took  place.  The  King's  proclamation,  above 
referred  to,  had  forbidden  all  attempts  to  occupy  western  lands  which  were  re- 
served for  the  uses  of  the  Indians;  but,  notwithstanding  this  prohibition,  one  Will- 
iam Murray,  a  resident  of  Kaskaskia,  bought  a  tract  of  land  from  the  Indians, 
which  included  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Chicago.  There  was  a  council  with 
the  chiefs  of  several  tribes  of  Illinois  Indians  at  Kaskaskia,  and  in  July,  1773,  a 

21Winsor:     "Westward   Movement,"   p.   i. 

22  Franklin  wrote  in  reference  to  these  charters :  "that  the  from  'sea-to-sea'  colonies,  having 
boundaries  three  thousand  or  four  thousand  miles  in  length  to  one  or  two  hundred  in  breadth, 
must  in  time  be  reduced  to  domains  more  convenient  for  the  common  purposes  of  government." — 
(Hinsdale's  "Old  Northwest,"  p.  in.) 

23Winsor:     "Westward  Movement,"  p.  2. 


ortag*e. 


TO  JOM 

1822 


's    H8POf    1782,     HULL'S     MflPOPlBIK,    TMt    GOVT    SVRvrY     or 

t'i  HUP  or  1852    Fxn&ncNTs  OF  WHICH  ««£  H»r  &XV/EM. 

JOUKfVHL,  LA  ^nLUE^  UETTFRS  RKD,  JH*  FflCT  ^CBRLYWLt  UIPT 
BY  THt  ftsirtM  TKHUeL(K%,  (UtRHOlWC  TH«  V/«Y  FRon  L-RKE  f\ICHI&KN-  TOTKl 
D«t>RjMNE»  WH/tK.  tXPLAir/  WHflTTME  HBPS  SHOW. 

Tttr  WINTERINt    PLHCE   OF    MflROUETTE,  l7fc4"5    W«S  HT  OH.  NfHH    TM* 

•fbiCT««*HoU»i>rvOT«t   »e^c«.  OR«,    nerERReo  TO 

l/oLUKX    ««0  THE 


FI.OM. 


finite f tirr t*   SrtfraHto 

fs 
fly  ex  9 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  37 

deed  was  signed  by  the  chiefs  present,  by  which  there  were  conveyed  "two  tracts 
of  land  east  of  the  Mississippi,  one  of  which  was  north  of  the  Illinois  river  and  ex- 
tended beyond  the  present  site  of  Chicago."  -4  The  consideration  for  this  immense 
territory  was  "the  sum  of  five  shillings  to  them  in  hand  paid,"  and  certain  goods 
and  merchandise.  Murray  transferred  this  property,  quite  in  the  spirit  of  modern 
financial  methods,  to  a  regularly  organized  company  called  the  "Illinois  Land 
Company."  This  purchase  was  made  in  the  presence  of  the  British  officers  sta- 
tioned at  Kaskaskia,  but  without  their  sanction.23  The  deed  here  spoken  of  was 
that  in  which  the  phrase  "or  Garlick  Creek"  in  connection  with  the  word  Chicagou 
was  used. 

The  war  of  the  Revolution  coming  on  soon  after,  no  official  confirmation  of 
the  title  to  the  lands  thus  acquired  could  be  procured.  In  1791,  however,  the 
claims  of  the  company  were  submitted  to  Congress,  then  sitting  in  Philadelphia,26 
coupled  with  a  proposal  to  convey  all  the  lands  to  the  United  States  on  condition 
that  one-fourth  of  them  should  be  reconveyed  to  the  company.  After  prolonged 
consideration  the  company's  petition  was  finally  dismissed. 

ACQUISITION   OF  NORTHWEST  BY   AMERICANS 

Virginia  took  the  lead  in  the  War  of  Independence,  and  it  was  by  means  of 
forces  raised  and  paid  for  by  her  that  the  Northwest  was  won  for  the  Americans. 
An  act  for  establishing  "the  County  of  Illinois"  passed  the  Virginia  legislature 
December  9,  1778.  The  new  county  was  to  include  "the  inhabitants  of  Virginia 
north  of  the  Ohio  river,"  but  its  location  was  not  more  definitely  prescribed.  Gov- 
ernor Patrick  Henry  sent  instructions  to  George  Rogers  Clark,  then  in  the  Illinois 
Country,  to  assume  command  of  the  troops  there  and  of  those  later  to  be  sent  out. 
The  success  of  the  expeditions  of  Clark  "rendered  it  easier  for  the  American  com- 
missioners, who  negotiated  the  treaty  of  1782,  to  include  the  ample  domain  within 
the  American  Union.27 

GEORGE     ROGERS    CLARK 

A  brief  account  of  the  operations  of  Colonel  George  Rogers  Clark  in  the  south- 
ern part  of  what  is  now  the  state  of  Illinois  is  appropriate  here.  Before  the  Rev- 
olutionary war  the  colony  of  Virginia  claimed  jurisdiction  over  the  western 
territory  on  both  banks  of  the  Ohio  river.  After  the  war  had  been  in  progress  some 
years  the  Virginia  legislature  passed  the  act  establishing  the  "County  of  Illinois." 
That  renowned  patriot,  Patrick  Henry,  was  governor  of  Virginia  at  this  time,  and 
knowing  that  the  British  were  in  possession  of  Vincennes  and  Kaskaskia,  the  two 
most  important  towns  of  that  region,  he  began  to  form  his  plans  to  invade  the 
country  and  get  possession  of  these  places. 

The  country  south  of  the  Ohio  had  been  for  some  years  in  process  of  settle- 
ment, and,  prominent  among  the  actors  in  the  numerous  conflicts  between  Indians 
and  whites  were  Daniel  Boone  and  George  Rogers  Clark.  Clark  was  a  young  man 

24  Andreas:  I,   69. 

25Boggess:     "The  Settlement  of  Illinois,"  p.  10. 

26  "History  of  Congress"  (1789-1792),  p.  431. 

27  Winsor,  p.  2. 


38  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

about  twenty-five  years  of  age,  six  feet  in  height,  stout  of  frame,  possessed  of  "red 
hair,  and  a  black,  penetrating,  sparkling  eye."  He  was  courageous  and  hesitated 
not  at  any  adventure  of  a  dangerous  character  in  the  performance  of  duty. 

Clark  realized  that  so  long  as  British  influence  was  in  the  ascendant  in  the 
country  north  of  the  Ohio,  the  hostility  of  the  savages  would  keep  the  feeble  set- 
tlements in  the  Kentucky  region  in  a  state  of  turmoil.  He  started  overland  for 
Virginia  in  August,  1777,  to  consult  with  Governor  Patrick  Henry,  and  lay  before 
him  a  plan  of  capturing  the  British  posts  north  of  the  Ohio.  He  found  the  gov- 
ernor in  sympathy  with  his  plans  at  once,  and  authority  was  given  to  him  by  the 
Virginia  legislature  whereby  he  could  raise  a  company  for  service  against  the  British. 
He  was  made  a  lieutenant-colonel  and  provided  with  a  sum  of  money  for  the  ex- 
penses of  the  proposed  campaign. 


SMALL    SIZE    OF     CLARK  S    ARMY 

It  was  May  of  the  following  year  before  he  was  able  to  collect  a  force  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  borderers,  from  the  clearings  and  hunters'  camps  of  the  Alleghany 
foothills.28  At  the  head  of  this  rough  lot  of  backwoodsmen  Clark  floated  down  the 
Ohio,  and  in  June,  1778,  was  joined  by  a  few  volunteers  from  Kentucky,  while  pass- 
ing the  "Falls  of  the  Ohio,"  at  the  present  city  of  Louisville. 

At  Fort  Massac  Colonel  Clark  landed  his  force  with  the  intention  of  striking 
across  the  country  in  the  direction  of  Kaskaskia,  a  distance  of  something  over  two 
hundred  miles  in  a  northwesterly  direction.  The  Indians  occasionally  met  with  in 
that  part  of  the  country  were  mostly  in  the  British  interest,  and  Clark  feared  that 
his  advance  would  be  reported  to  the  British  commandant  at  Kaskaskia  before  his 
own  arrival,  as  he  intended  to  capture  the  place  by  surprise.  With  great  caution 
he  pushed  through  the  extensive  plains  along  his  route,  "much  afraid,"  he  says,  "of 
being  discovered  in  these  meadows,  as  we  might  be  seen  in  many  places  for  several 
miles."29 

TOOK    KASKASKIA    BY    SURPRISE 

On  the  evening  of  the  fourth  of  July  the  little  army  of  less  than  two  hundred 
men  reached  the  east  bank  of  the  Kaskaskia,  where  on  the  opposite  side,  some 
three  miles  above,  could  be  seen  the  town.  Near  it  was  the  fort  armed  with  sev- 
eral pieces  of  cannon,  while  from  the  flagstaff  floated  the  British  colors ;  but  not  a 
soldier  could  be  seen  anywhere  about  the  fort,  thus  showing  that  the  garrison  had 
no  suspicion  that  an  invading  force  was  anywhere  in  the  vicinity. 

Remaining  under  cover  until  the  evening,  the  Americans  advanced  along  the 
bank  of  the  river,  and  presently  came  to  a  farm  house  about  a  mile  from  the  village. 
They  made  the  family  prisoners  and  learned  from  them  that  Philippe  de  Roche- 
blave,  a  Frenchman  in  the  English  service,  was  in  command  of  the  fort,  with  a 
force  of  four  or  five  hundred  men,  more  than  double  the  force  of  the  Americans. 
The  British  force  consisted  of  the  local  militia,  mostly  formerly  French  subjects, 

28  Account  taken  largely  from  Thwaites'  "How  George  Rogers  Clark  Won  the  Northwest," 
pp.  18-62. 

28  Quoted  by  Thwaites  from  a  letter  by  Clark. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  39 

who  greatly  feared  the  "Big  Knives,"  as  they  called  the  frontiersmen  from  Vir- 
ginia and  Kentucky. 

Colonel  Clark  was  not  only  resolute  but  quick  in  his  decisions,  and  finding  a 
good  supply  of  boats  in  which  to  cross  the  river,  he  lost  not  a  moment  of  time  in 
transferring  his  little  army  safely  and  silently  to  the  opposite  bank.  Here  he 
divided  his  force  into  two  parties,  one  to  surround  the  town  which  was  at  a  little 
distance  from  the  fort;  the  other  to  accompany  their  leader  and  a  French  guide 
from  the  farm  house.  The  latter  party  made  their  way  under  the  brow  of  the 
river's  bank  along  the  edge  of  the  water  to  the  western  gate  of  the  fort. 

DID     NOT     FIRE    A     SHOT 

In  the  narratives  of  this  thrilling  adventure,  it  has  often  been  said  that  Colonel 
Clark  and  his  men  could  hear  the  sounds  of  French  fiddles  and  shouts  of  laughter, 
while  a  dance  was  in  progress  within  the  fort;  and  that  even  the  sentinels  had  de- 
serted their  posts  to  join  the  festivities.  But  the  investigations  of  less  imaginative 
historians  have  shown  that  there  is  no  foundation  for  these  tales.  What  they  did 
do  was  thrilling  enough,  for  while  Clark  and  his  party  of  about  a  dozen  men  were 
creeping  along  the  river  bank  behind  the  fort,  they  were  discovered  by  the  keen- 
scented  dogs,  and  a  great  barking  was  set  up.  But  strange  to  say  this  did  not  dis- 
turb the  little  garrison. 

Finding  the  gate  open  they  entered  the  fort  and  pushed  on  in  the  direction  of 
Rocheblave's  house,  which  was  pointed  out  by  the  French  guide.  Making  the  un- 
suspecting governor  prisoner,  they  gave  30  "a  loud  huzza,  answered  by  the  other 
party,"  which  had  now  divided  into  small  squads.  Yelling  like  mad,  the  now  united 
Virginians  easily  overcame  the  garrison  of  Creoles,  and  "in  fifteen  minutes,"  says 
Clark,  they  were  masters  of  the  place  without  firing  a  gun. 

This  brilliant  exploit  was  of  far-reaching  importance  in  the  settlement  of  the 
question  of  possession,  when  the  treaty  of  peace  was  concluded,  four  years  later, 
between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States.  The  Americans  retained  possession 
of  the  post  of  Kaskaskia,  notwithstanding  persevering  efforts  were  made  by  the 
British  to  recapture  the  place. 

DIFFICULTIES     IN     REACHING    VINCENNES 

Early  in  the  following  year,  Colonel  Clark  set  out  from  Kaskaskia,  with  a  force 
of  his  "Big  Knives,"  to  reach  and  capture  Vincennes  on  the  Wabash.  In  order  to 
surprise  the  place  he  struck  directly  across  the  present  state  of  Illinois  during  the 
wintry  season,  while  the  country  was  covered  over  with  wet  snow,  and  in  places 
flooded  from  the  rivers  which  had  overflowed  their  banks.  They  reached  the 
"drowned  lands"  of  the  Wabash,  and  beheld  before  them  a  wide  stretch  of  sub- 
merged country  extending  many  miles.  Nothing  daunted,  the  men  constructed  a 
large  canoe  to  ferry  themselves  across  the  deep  places,  while  in  shallower  places 
they  waded  up  to  their  armpits. 

They  were  now  approaching  Vincennes,  and  the  men  were  almost  worn  out  with 
fatigue  and  exposure.  In  the  midst  of  falling  rain,  they  came  to  the  banks  of  a 

30  Quoted  by  Thwaites. 


40  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

stream  usually  small  enough  to  cross  without  trouble,  but  now  a  raging  flood.  They 
had  been  twelve  days  on  the  journey,  and  on  the  morning  of  their  approach,  after 
a  night  without  food  or  fire,  they  could  hear  across  the  waste  of  waters  the  sound 
of  the  morning  gun  at  Vincennes.  Reaching  the  Wabash,  they  set  about  the  task 
of  building  canoes  to  make  the  crossing.  Clark,  in  writing  to  a  friend,  said  that  if 
he  should  give  the  details  of  their  sufferings  in  crossing  those  waters,  it  would  be 
"too  incredible  for  any  person  to  believe  except  those  that  are  well  acquainted  with 
me,  as  you  are,  or  had  experienced  something  similar  to  it." 

BOLD    ATTACK    ON    THE    FORT 

At  length  Clark  and  his  intrepid  company  learned  from  a  Creole  hunter,  whom 
they  had  made  prisoner,  that  there  was  not  the  remotest  suspicion  of  his  approach. 
At  the  fort  Clark  resolved  upon  a  daring  course.  He  wrote  a  letter  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  place  that  he  was  about  to  attack  the  fort,  and  that  everyone  must  keep 
within  their  houses  and  they  would  be  well  treated.  The  town  being  separated  by 
a  short  distance  from  the  fort,  it  was  possible  for  the  people  to  hold  a  hasty  meet- 
ing to  hear  the  message  contained  in  Clark's  letter.  They  gave  no  alarm,  however, 
and  soon  the  attacking  party  was  at  the  walls  of  the  fort  pouring  in  a  fusillade  of 
rifle  shots  to  which  the  garrison  responded  very  ineffectively. 

All  that  night,  which  was  brilliantly  lighted  by  the  moon,  the  firing  went  on. 
In  the  morning  Clark  paused  long  enough  to  refresh  his  men  with  a  breakfast  pre- 
pared from  the  supplies  they  had  obtained  since  their  arrival,  and  took  the  oppor- 
tunity of  sending  to  the  commandant  a  summons  to  surrender.  After  some  hesitation 
the  British  commander  agreed  to  the  terms  offered  by  Clark,  and  the  post  with  all 
its  stores  passed  into  the  possession  of  the  Americans. 

EVENTS    NOTABLE    IN    HISTORY 

"The  capture  of  Vincennes,"  says  Thwaites,  "was  one  of  the  most  notable  and 
heroic  achievements  in  American  history.  Clark  had  conducted  a  forced  march  of 
about  two  hundred  and  thirty  miles  through  almost  unheard  of  difficulties.  With  a 
small  party  of  ragged  and  half-famished  militiamen,  nearly  half  of  whom  were 
Creoles,  he  had  captured,  in  the  heart  of  a  strange  and  hostile  country,  without  the 
aid  of  his  artillery,  a  heavy  stockade  mounted  by  cannons  and  swivels  and  manned 
by  a  trained  garrison.  It  was  a  bold  scheme,  of  his  own  planning,  and  skilfully 
carried  out.  At  his  back  were  some  of  the  best  fighting  men  on  the  border,  but 
with  him  rests  the  principal  credit." 

We  are  proud  of  the  military  achievements  of  Colonel  George  Rogers  Clark; 
and  proud,  too,  that  one  of  the  principal  streets  in  Chicago  is  named  in  his  honor. 
A  statue  was  erected  to  his  memory  in  Quincy,  Illinois,  in  May,  1909,  and  a  statue 
ought  to  be  erected  in  Chicago,  thus  suitably  commemorating  one  of  the  heroes  of 
our  beloved  commonwealth. 

WESTERN    LANDS    CEDED    BY    VIRGINIA    TO    GENERAL    GOVERNMENT 

In  1784  Virginia  ceded  her  western  lands  to  the  general  government  and  thus 
transferred  the  question  of  land  titles  which  had  become  an  insoluble  problem  to 


From  a  copy  by  Edwards  of  Jarvis  portrait,  the  copy  beinj? 
in  the  possession  of  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Society 


GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK 

By  the  operations  of  George  Rogers 
Clark  ill  the  southern  part  of  our  present 
state  of  Illinois,  the  Americans  were  able 
to  make  an  advantageous  settlement  con- 
cerning this  territory,  in  the  treaty  with 
England  after  the  Revolutionary  war. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  41 

her  statesmen.  This  step  was  as  much  a  tribute  to  her  shrewdness  as  to  her  gen- 
erosity, for  while  she  held  jurisdiction  over  the  Illinois  Country  the  difficulties  of 
its  government  increased,  and  at  last  she  actually  failed  to  maintain  any  authority 
whatever.  "The  country  had  been  in  a  state  of  unconcealed  anarchy  for  more  than 
two  years  previous  to  1784,  all  semblance  of  authority  having  ceased,"  says  Boggess. 

THE    NORTHWEST    TERRITORY 

Then  followed  the  organization  of  the  Northwest  Territory  under  the  famous 
"Ordinance  of  1787."  This  ordinance  was  passed  by  Congress  on  July  13th,  two 
months  before  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  was  adopted.  The  ordinance 
of  1787  has  been  called  the  "American  Magna  Charta,"  because  it  engrafted  upon 
the  organic  law  of  all  the  states  thereafter  admitted  to  the  Union  the  principles  of 
human  freedom  and  equal  rights.  The  Ordinance,  which  has  served  as  a  model  for 
all  subsequent  American  territorial  government,  provided  for  freedom  of  religion, 
civil  rights  of  the  individual,  inviolability  of  contracts,  prevention  of  primogeniture, 
humane  treatment  of  the  Indians,  prohibition  of  slavery  in  all  future  times  north- 
west of  the  Ohio,  the  encouragement  of  schools  and  learning,  and  that  the  said  ter- 
ritory, and  the  States  which  may  be  formed  therein,  shall  forever  remain  a  part  of 
the  American  Union.31 

Under  this  Ordinance  the  Northwest  Territory  was  formed,  which  comprised 
the  territory  afterwards  divided  up  into  the  states  of  Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana,  Michi- 
gan and  Wisconsin. 

"It  is  not  surprising,"  says  Boggess,  "that  the  population  of  the  Illinois  Coun- 
try decreased  from  1765  to  1790.  During  these  years  British  and  Americans  had 
attempted  to  impose  upon  the  French  settlers  a  form  of  government  for  which  they 
had  neither  desire  nor  aptitude.  The  attempt  to  immediately  transform  a  subject 
people  was  a  signal  failure." 

THE    ORDINANCE    OF     1787 

The  following  paragraph  from  the  Commercial  Club's  "Plan  of  Chicago,"  is- 
sued in  1909,  is  a  forceful  and  appropriate  summary  of  the  effects  of  the  famous 
Ordinance  of  1787. 

"Chicago  is  the  metropolis  of  the  Middle  West,  a  term  applied  to  the  area  known 
a  century  ago  as  the  Terrtiory  Northwest  of  the  Ohio  River.  No  section  of  the 
country,  except  New  England,  has  so  distinct  a  history.  Conquered  by  Virginia 
troops  at  the  very  time  when  the  Colonies  were  wresting  their,  independence  from 
Great  Britain,  and  held  for  the  United  States  by  the  sagacity  of  Franklin  and  the 
pertinacity  of  John  Jay  when  the  treaty  of  1783  was  negotiated,  the  Old  Northwest 
was  the  first  territorial  acquisition  of  the  new  republic.  Then,  while  the  British 
still  held  the  posts  and  only  Indians  and  fur-traders  roamed  its  forests,  the  Congress 
of  the  Confederation  gave  to  the  Northwest  Territory,  in  the  Ordinance  of  1787, 
a  charter  which  contained  two  provisions  that  during  the  years  of  development  ex- 
ercised a  unifying  force,  comparable  only  to  that  brought  about  by  the  extension 

31  The  full  text  of  the  Ordinance  of  1787  is  printed  in  Greene's  "Government  of  Illinois," 
page  213. 


42  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

of  Christianity  and  the  civil  law  during  the  Middle  Ages, — the  prohibition  of  slav- 
ery, and  the  encouragement  of  free  popular  education.  The  continuous  struggle 
to  preserve  human  freedom  against  all  the  forces  determined  to  extend  slavery  to 
the  fertile  fields  of  the  new  West,  and  the  establishment  of  schools  and  colleges 
supported  from  a  public  treasury,  brought  about  common  aims  and  aspirations."  32 

THE    TREATY    OF    GREENVILLE 

The  leading  events  of  the  territorial  development  of  the  Northwest  having  thus 
been  traced  in  the  foregoing  paragraphs,  we  may  now  proceed  to  the  narrative  of 
the  military  operations  which  led  up  to  the  Treaty  of  Greenville,  by  which  the  In- 
dians ceded  to  the  United  States  the  celebrated  "piece  of  land  six  miles  square"  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river. 

The  American  government  made  a  serious  attempt  to  establish  good  order  and 
civil  institutions  in  the  new  and  extensive  regions  which  had  come  under  its  control 
after  the  termination  of  the  British  regime.  The  first  efforts  of  the  general  govern- 
ment, of  which  Washington  was  then  at  the  head,  were  weak  and  hesitating.33  But 
the  aggressions  of  the  Indians  finally  drove  the  government  to  make  a  resolute  at- 
tack upon  them  and  bring  them  to  submission.  General  Arthur  St.  Clair,  then  gov- 
ernor of  the  Northwest  Territory,  was  sent  with  an  army  of  about  three  thousand 
men,  which  met  with  a  disastrous  defeat  in  November,  1791.  The  scene  of  this 
battle  with  the  Indians  was  at  a  point  a  few  miles  east  from  where  the  present  city 
of  Ft.  Wayne  now  stands. 

The  government  organized  another  expedition  in  1794,  consisting  of  about  the 
same  number  of  troops  as  that  of  St.  Clair's  army.  General  Anthony  Wayne  was 
placed  in  command.  He  succeeded  in  totally  defeating  the  Indians  at  the  battle 
of  Fallen  Timbers,  and  followed  his  victory  by  laying  waste  their  villages  and  fields. 
"The  Indians  were  utterly  downcast  over  their  defeat,"  says  Roosevelt,  in  his  "Win- 
ning of  the  West."  "The  destruction  of  their  crops,  homes  and  stores  of  provisions 
was  complete,  and  they  were  put  to  sore  shifts  to  live  through  the  winter."  Gen- 
eral Wayne  went  into  winter  quarters  at  Greenville,  a  town  in  the  present  state  of 
Ohio,  and  there  the  chiefs  of  the  hostile  tribes  sought  him  out  and  made  proposals 
for  a  treaty  of  peace.  They  were  inclined,  however,  to  prolong  the  negotiations, 
until  Wayne  bluntly  told  them  "that  hitherto  the  Indians  had  felt  only  the  weight 
of  his  little  finger,  but  that  he  would  surely  destroy  all  the  tribes  in  the  near  fu- 
ture, if  they  did  not  make  peace."  34 

THE  "SIX  MILE    SQUARE"   TRACT 

It  was  not.  however,  until  the  following  summer  was  far  advanced  that  the 
Treaty  of  Greenville  was  at  length  concluded.  The  date  of  that  important  instru- 
ment was  August  3,  1795.  By  its  terms  various  tracts  were  ceded  to  the  United 
States  "as  an  evidence,"  to  use  the  language  of  the  treaty,  "of  the  returning  friend- 
ship of  the  said  Indian  tribes,  of  their  confidence  in  the  United  States,  and  its  de- 

32  Chicago  Commercial  Club's  "Plan  of  Chicago,"  p.  31. 
S3  Roosevelt:     "Winning  of  the  West,"  Vol.  IV,  pp.  13,  30. 
34  Roosevelt:     "Winning  of  the  West,"  IV,  p.  94. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  43 

sire  to  provide  for  their  accommodation,  and  for  that  convenient  intercourse  which 
will  be  beneficial  to  both  parties." 

There  were  sixteen  pieces  of  land  thus  ceded,  most  of  them  described  as  "pieces 
six  miles  square,"  though  in  the  others  not  so  described  different  dimensions  were 
given.  The  fourteenth  was  described  as  "One  piece  of  land  six  miles  square  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Chikago  River,  emptying  into  the  southwest  end  of  Lake  Michigan, 
where  a  fort  formerly  stood."  The  boundaries  of  the  tracts  referred  to  were  not 
given,  as  they  were  left  to  be  determined  by  surveys  thereafter  to  be  made.  This 
was  the  first  occasion  that  Chicago  was  recognized  in  any  official  document  of  the 
general  government. 

The  surveys  which  would  have  been  necessary  to  determine  the  boundaries  re- 
ferred to  were  never  made.  Before  the  government  surveyors  had  reached  this  site, 
other  treaties  with  the  Indians  had  supervened,  and  thus  obviated  the  necessity  for 
establishing  such  boundaries.  For  this  reason  such  maps  as  show  the  tract  ceded 
by  the  Treaty  of  Greenville  are  arbitrarily  placed  by  the  map  makers  so  as  to  in- 
clude the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river,  but  they  have  no  further  claim  for  accuracy 
of  position.  None  of  the  maps  of  the  Chicago  Title  and  Trust  Company  shows  the 
boundary  lines  of  the  "piece  six  miles  square,"  though  the  lines  established  in  sub- 
sequent treaties  are  clearly  traced  and  have  become  well  recognized  base  lines  in  the 
description  of  property. 

There  has  been  some  speculation  by  writers  as  to  what  fort  was  referred  to  in 
the  Treaty  of  Greenville,  which  "formerly  stood"  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river. 
But  no  doubt  a  succession  of  forts  and  stockades  had  existed  at  one  period  or  an- 
other since  the  time  when  some  of  La  Salle's  men  erected  a  "little  stockade"  in  the 
winter  of  1682-83,  where  La  Salle  himself  stayed  for  a  time  in  the  following  sum- 
mer.35 Shea  says  that  in  1685  Durantaye  erected  a  fort  at  Chicago,  "where  it  be- 
came a  kind  of  depot;"  36  and  one  James  Logan,  of  Pennsylvania,  sent  by  the 
governor  of  that  colony  to  ascertain  the  routes  of  P'rench  trade,  reported  in  1718 
that  a  fort  "not  regularly  garrisoned"  was  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago 
river.  It  would  not  have  been  strange  if  a  tradition  of  these  old  forts,  now  aban- 
doned and  gone  to  decay,  was  current  among  the  French  traders  at  the  time  the 
treaty  was  made,  notwithstanding  the  doubt  expressed  in  a  quotation  made  by  An- 
dreas that  "at  the  time  of  the  Treaty  of  Greenville,  the  oldest  Indian  then  living 
had  no  recollection  of  a  fort  ever  having  been  at  that  place."  The  recollections 
of  Indians  are,  however,  notoriously  unreliable,  and  the  framers  of  the  treaty  prob- 
ably relied  more  upon  the  recollections  of  the  whites  than  upon  those  of  the  Indians 
when  they  used  the  words  "where  a  fort  formerly  stood." 

THE  BATTLE   OF   SOUTH   CHICAGO 

It  seems  strange  enough  that  any  events  connected  with  the  Revolutionary  War 
could  have  taken  place  within  the  present  limits  of  the  city  of  Chicago;  and  yet  an 
action  involving  the  loss  of  four  lives,  and  a  number  of  prisoners  taken,  is  a  part 
of  the  history  of  this  city  as  well  as  an  episode  of  that  war. 

The  "battle  of  South  Chicago,"  as  it  is  referred  to  in  one  of  the  volumes  of  the 

35  Mason:     "Chapters   from  Illinois   History,"   p.   144. 
30  Cited  by  Hurlbut,  p.  164. 


44  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

Wisconsin  Historical  Society,  took  place  on  December  5,  1780.  The  account  of 
the  raid — for  it  was  hardly  more  than  that — which  ended  in  the  "battle"  may  be 
found  in  Boggess'  "Settlement  of  Illinois,"  37  and  in  volume  XVIII  of  the  Wiscon- 
sin Historical  Collections. 

In  the  autumn  of  1780  a  party  of  seventeen  men  from  Cahokia  started  on  an 
expedition  against  the  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  then  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  British.  The  invading  force  was  in  command  of  Jean  Baptiste  Hamelin, 
with  Thomas  Brady  as  his  lieutenant.  Although  this  party  was  in  the  interest  of 
the  Americans,  the  expedition  was  not  authorized  by  the  then  commander  of  the 
American  forces  in  Illinois,  Colonel  George  Rogers  Clark,  who  was  absent  at  the 
time  in  another  part  of  the  country.  The  commander,  Hamelin,  was  "a  half  In- 
dian," 3S  while  Brady  was  an  American,  the  only  American  of  the  party,  the  others 
composing  the  force  having  been  recruited  in  Cahokia,  presumably  French  residents 
of  that  place. 

The  attack  on  Fort  St.  Joseph  was  so  timed  as  to  take  place  when  the  Indians 
of  the  vicinity  were  away  on  their  hunting  trips.  The  fort  was  garrisoned  by  a 
force  of  twenty-one  British  regulars,31*  but  the  attacking  party  surprised  them  and 
quickly  obtained  possession  of  the  post.  "Fort  St.  Joseph,"  says  Mason,40  "had 
been  so  uniformly  taken  and  plundered  whenever  anyone  set  out  to  do  it  that 
capture  had  become  its  normal  state  and  seemingly  the  object  of  its  existence."  It 
well  fulfilled  the  description  applied  to  some  forts  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  given  by 
an  American  officer,  "as  places  to  get  out  of  as  soon  as  the  enemy  opens  fire." 

Laden  with  plunder  the  victorious  party  started  on  its  return  journey,  intend- 
ing to  pass  down  the  valley  of  the  Illinois  by  way  of  the  Chicago  portage.41  But 
the  British  officer  in  command,  Lieutenant  Dagneau  de  Quindre,  had  escaped  cap- 
ture when  the  fort  was  taken;  and  gathering  a  force  of  Indians  in  the  British 
interest,  followed  the  retreating  party  in  the  hope  of  recovering  the  property  and 
punishing  the  invaders.  The  British  "pursued  them  as  far  as  Petit  Fort,  a  day's 
journey  beyond  the  Riviere  du  Chemin,"  where  they  were  overtaken  and  sum- 
moned to  surrender.  This  place  is  described  by  the  editor  of  the  "Wisconsin  His- 
torical Collections"  as  "not  far  from  South  Chicago."  "The  Riviere  du  Chemin," 
says  Boggess  in  the  "Settlement  of  Illinois,"  "is  a  small  stream  in  Indiana,  empty- 
ing into  the  southeastern  part  of  Lake  Michigan."  This  "small  stream"  is  now 
known  as  Trail  Creek,  at  the  mouth  of  which  Michigan  City,  Indiana,  is  situated. 
Reynolds,  in  his  "Pioneer  History  of  Illinois,"  says  that  the  retreating  party  "was 
overtaken  at  the  Calumet,  a  few  miles  southeast  of  Chicago."  This  was  written 
long  before  Chicago  had  extended  its  limits  to  include  the  Calumet  region. 

The  summons  to  surrender  being  refused,  the  attack  was  made,  and  in  the  fight 
that  followed  four  of  Hamelin's  party  were  killed,  including  himself,  three  escaped 
"in  the  thick  woods,"  and  the  rest  were  made  prisoners.  All  the  property  was  re- 
covered. Among  the  prisoners  was  the  American  Brady,  who,  however,  made  his 
escape  afterwards  and  returned  to  Illinois  by  way  of  his  native  state,  Pennsyl- 

37  Boggess,  p.  37. 

38  Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical  Collections,  X,  450;  Boggess,  p.  37. 

39  Reynolds:     "Pioneer  History  of  Illinois,"  p.  90. 

40  Mason:     "Chapters   from   Illinois  History,"   p.   301. 

41  Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical  Collections,  X,  450. 


MJCRAMECH   HILL  AND  MONUMENT 
Erected  about  a   mile  southwest  of   Piano,   Illinois,   by  John   F.   Steward 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  45 

vania.42  He  lived  in  Cahokia  for  many  years  and  was  sheriff  of  St.  Clair  county 
in  1790;  he  had  the  reputation  of  being  "an  honest  correct  citizen." 

The  prisoners  were  sent  to  Detroit,  where  they  were  looked  upon  as  entitled 
to  scant  consideration,  very  much  as  "guerrilas"  were  regarded  in  the  war  of  the 
rebellion.  "I  look  upon  these  gentry,"  wrote  Colonel  De  Peyster,  the  commandant 
at  Detroit,  "as  robbers  and  not  prisoners  of  war,  having  no  commission  that  I  can 
learn  of  other  than  a  verbal  order  from  M.  Trottier."  (Francois  Trottier  was 
the  justice  of  the  court  at  Cahokia,  and  the  leading  man  in  authority  during  the 
absence  of  Colonel  Clark.)  As  all  prisoners,  however,  were  duly  exchanged  at 
the  close  of  the  war,  these  no  doubt  finally  reached  their  homes  safely. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  the  precise  location  of  this  so  called  "battle," 
and  if  it  can  be  definitely  ascertained  it  should  be  suitably  marked  with  a  monument, 
as  this  event  is  the  only  one  in  our  history  that  is  directly  connected  with  the 
War  of  Independence.  An  act  passed  by  the  Illinois  legislature  in  1907  authorizes 
municipal  bodies  to  erect  monuments  and  mark  historical  sites,  and  it  would  be  a 
fitting  and  proper  exercise  of  the  authority  thus  conferred  to  fix  and  mark  the 
spot  on  which  the  "battle  of  South  Chicago"  was  fought. 

THE    MARCH    OF    THE    SPANISH    ACROSS    ILLINOIS 

The  failure  of  the  ill-starred  raid  of  Hamelin  and  Brady  against  Fort  St. 
Joseph  did  not,  however,  terminate  the  troubles  of  the  British  at  that  post.  At  that 
time  the  Spanish  were  in  possession  of  St.  Louis,  and  were  nominally  the  allies 
of  the  Americans  against  the  British.  Early  in  1780,  Don  Eugenio  Pierro  (or,  as 
some  accounts  have  it,  Pourre)  left  St.  Louis  with  a  force  of  sixty  men  and  a  con- 
tingent of  Indians,  marched  some  two  hundred  leagues  across  the  Illinois  Country, 
and  fell  upon  St.  Joseph,  which  he  captured,  making  the  garrison  prisoners.  The 
Spaniards  were  back  in  St.  Louis  within  three  months  from  the  time  of  starting  on 
the  expedition.  This  exploit  greatly  alarmed  the  Americans,  who  feared  that  the 
Spanish  government  would  base  a  claim  for  territory  in  Illinois  in  the  treaty  of 
peace  which  it  was  generally  anticipated  would  soon  be  negotiated.43 

Just  as  it  was  expected,  the  Spanish  made  the  claim  that  the  country  around 
the  Illinois  river  was  conquered  for  the  Spanish  King,  although  Pierro's  return 
march  had  been  harassed  by  Indians,  and  he  did  not  even  dare  leave  a  garrison  at 
the  captured  post.44 

It  soon  came  to  be  known  that  the  whole  movement  had  been  inspired  by  the 
Spanish  court,  and  Franklin,  then  in  Paris,  wrote  regarding  it  as  follows:  "I 
see  by  the  newspapers  that  the  Spaniards,  having  taken  a  little  post  called  St. 
Joseph,  pretend  to  have  made  a  conquest  of  the  Illinois  Country,"  and  he  denounced 
their  pretensions  in  strong  terms.  As  we  know,  Spain  accomplished  nothing  by 
all  this  in  the  final  treaty,  and  was  obliged  to  be  contented  with  the  territory  of 
which  she  was  already  in  possession. 

42  Reynolds,  p.  90. 

43Winsor:     "Westward  Movement,"  p.   189. 

44  Roosevelt:     "Winning  of  the  West,"  II,  p.  179. 


46  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

THE   EARLY   SETTLERS 

It  is  rather  hazardous  for  one  who  has  a  due  regard  for  his  reputation  as  a 
writer  on  historical  subjects  to  name  anything  or  anybody  as  "the  first;"  and  it 
is  especially  unsafe  to  name  anyone  as  the  "first  settler."  No  matter  who  may  be 
thus  distinguished,  it  is  usually  found  that  there  was  some  "original,"  whose  claims 
to  the  title  are  set  forth  with  sufficiently  strong  proofs,  and,  accordingly,  he  is  moved 
up  to  the  head  of  the  class.  This  continues  until  some  delver  into  the  "musty  rec- 
ords of  the  past"  rises  up  and  announces  that  he  has  found  another  who  is  entitled 
to  the  honor;  and  finally  one  feels  that  no  certainty  can  be  felt  that  anyone  can 
be  called  "first  settler,"  "first  arrival"  or  "first"  anything.45 

A  few  of  the  first  settlers  who  came  to  the  place  even  then  known  as  Chicago, 
in  the  eighteenth  century,  will  be  mentioned  here. 

In  the  work  entitled  "Pioneer  History  of  Illinois,"  by  John  Reynolds,  one  of 
the  early  governors  of  Illinois,  he  speaks  of  one  "Saint  Ange,  or  Pelate,  as  he  was 
sometimes  called,  as  having  settled  at  Chicago"  about  1765.  But  he  only  makes 
this  mention  incidental  to  an  account  he  gives  of  one  of  the  pioneer  women  who 
passed  the  greater  part  of  her  life  in  Cahokia,  then  one  of  the  principal  towns  of 
the  state.  But  nowhere  else  do  we  find  any  further  reference  to  the  man  Saint 
Ange.  There  was,  indeed,  a  French  officer  by  the  name  of  St.  Ange  de  Bellerive, 
the  last  French  commander  in  the  Illinois  Country,  but  he  was  an  entirely  different 
individual. 

In  giving  the  early  history  of  Chicago,  the  Indians  say,  with  great  simplicity, 
"the  first  white  man  who  settled  here  was  a  negro."  This  is  a  passage  from  Mrs. 
Kinzie's  "Wau-Bun,"  referring  to  Jean  Baptiste  Point  de  Saible,  whom  the  author 
just  mentioned  calls  "Point-au-Sable."  De  Saible,  or  Point-au-Sable,  was  at  Chi- 
cago some  time  in  1778,  or  previous  thereto.  He  was  a  native  of  San  Domingo,  and 
before  settling  on  the  banks  of  the  Chicago  river  he  had  lived  among  the  Peorias.48 
"He  built  a  cabin  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Chicago  river,  where  it  turned  to  the 
south,  and  at  the  head  of  the  point  of  sand  which  extended  thence  between  the  river 
and  the  lake.  Here  he  lived  until  1796 — seventeen  years,"  when  he  returned  to  his 
former  place  of  residence  among  the  Peorias.  There  is  a  further  mention  of  him 
in  the  "Recollections  of  Augustin  Grignon,"  published  in  the  Collections  of  the  Wis- 
consin State  Historical  Society  in  1857.  Grignon  says:  "At  a  very  early  period 
there  was  a  negro  lived  there  [at  Chicago]  named  Baptist  Point  de  Saible;  my 
brother,  Perrish  Grignon,  visited  Chicago  about  1794,  and  told  me  that  Point  de 
Saible  was  a  large  man ;  that  he  had  a  commission  for  some  office,  but  for  what  par- 
ticular object,  or  from  what  government,  I  cannot  now  recollect.  He  was  a  trader, 
pretty  wealthy,  and  drank  freely.  I  know  riot  what  became  of  him." 

De  Saible  came  under  the  observation  of  the  watchful  Colonel  Arent  Schuyler 

45  In  a  letter  to  the  author  from  Mr.  R.  G.  Thwaites,  secretary  of  the  State  Historical  So- 
ciety of  Wisconsin,  he  says:  "I  doubt  if  ...  any  known  person  can  safely  be  called  the 
'earliest  settler'  of  Chicago.  The  habitants  and  traders  went  back  and  forth  like  Arabs.  Chicago 
was  long  a  noted  point  for  Indian  gatherings  and  trade.  No  doubt  there  was  a  succession  of 
temporary  visitors,  residing  any  time  from  a  few  months  to  several  years  at  this  site  during  the 
entire  French  regime,  but  especially  in  the  eighteenth  century,  concerning  which  period  the 
records  are  unfortunately  scanty." 

40  Andreas,  I,  71. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  47 

de  Peyster,  who  was  the  British  commander  at  Mackinac  from  1774  to  1779; 
and  in  a  volume  of  "Miscellanies"  written  by  him,  under  date  of  July  4,  1779,  he 
makes  mention  of  "Baptist  De  Saible,  a  handsome  negro,  well  educated,  and  set- 
tled at  Eschecagou,  but  much  in  the  French  interest." 

In  a  report  made  by  Lieutenant  Thomas  Bennett,  of  the  "King's  Regiment," 
on  September  1,  1779,  addressed  to  his  superior  officer,  Colonel  De  Peyster,  he 
writes:  "I  had  the  negro,  Baptiste  Point  au  Sable,  brought  prisoner  from  the  river 
du  Chemin  [to  Detroit].  Corporal  Tascon,  who  commanded  the  party,  very  pru- 
dently prevented  the  Indians  from  burning  his  home,  or  doing  him  any  injury.  He 
secured  his  packs,  etc.,  which  he  takes  with  him  to  Michilimackinac.  The  negro, 
since  his  imprisonment,  has  in  every  respect  behaved  in  a  manner  becoming  to  a 
man  in  his  situation,  and  has  many  friends  who  give  him  a  good  character." 

In  a  note  by  Mr.  Reuben  Gold  Thwaites,  appended  to  the  printed  copy  of  this 
letter,  in  the  Collections  of  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Society,  he  says:  "It  would 
appear  from  this  and  preceding  documents  that  Baptiste  Point  du  Sable  was  driven 
from  Chicago  by  Langlade,  probably  in  the  spring  of  1779;  that  he  removed  his 
effects  to  Riviere  du  Chemin  [near  Michigan  City,  Indiana],  .  .  .  and  that  he 
was  there  taken  into  custody  by  Lieutenant  Bennett,  and  transplanted  to  Mack- 
inac."  47 

De  Saible's  only  neighbors  were  the  Indians  of  the  Pottawattomie  tribe.  Be- 
tween the  two  races,  the  negro  and  the  Indian,  there  is  usually  a  strong  affection, 
and  Jean  Baptiste  the  more  readily  imposed  on  his  Indian  friends  by  making  them 
believe  that  he  had  been  a  "great  chief"  among  the  whites.  "Perhaps,"  says  the 
author  of  "Wau-Bun,"  "he  was  disgusted  at  not  being  elected  to  a  similar  dignity 
by  the  Pottawattomies,  for  be  quitted  this  vicinity,  and  finally  terminated  his  days 
at  Peoria,  under  the  roof  of  his  friend,  Glamorgan,  another  St.  Domingo  negro." 

In  1796,  De  Saible,  when  about  to  return  to  Peoria,  sold  his  cabin  to  Joseph 
Le  Mai,  a  French  trader.48  Le  Mai  made  some  improvements  and  occupied  it  as 
a  residence  and  trading  post  until  1804,  when  he  sold  it  to  John  Kinzie,  who 
arrived  that  year. 

Some  time  before  1800  there  was  a  man  by  the  name  of  Guarie,  who  had  a 
trading  house  up  on  the  North  Branch,  located  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  near 
the  present  Fulton  Street.  This  part  of  the  river  was  called  "River  Guarie,"  ac- 
cording to  a  statement  made  by  Gurdon  S.  Hubbard  in  1880,  printed  in  Blanchard's 
"Discovery  of  the  Northwest."  He  says:  "This  house  was  enclosed  by  pickets. 
He  [Guarie]  located  there  prior  to  1778.  This  tradition  I  received  from  Messrs. 
Antoine  Deschamps  and  Antoine  Besom,  who,  from  about  1778,  had  passed  from 
Lake  Michigan  to  the  Illinois  river  yearly;  they  were  old  men  when  I  first  knew 

47  The  frequent  reference  made  in  this  history  to  the  historical  collections  of  the  Wisconsin 
State   Historical    Society    only   emphasizes    the    deficiencies   of  our   own    state    in   the    matter   of 
published  records,  memoirs  and  other  historical  material.     Wisconsin  is  far  ahead  of  us  in  that 
respect,   and   although   our   own    state   Historical    Society   is    doing    a   noble   work   with   limited 
resources,  its  activities  date  from  a  comparatively  recent  period ;  while  those  ot  our  sister  state 
were  begun  half  a  century  ago  and  have  always  been  abundantly  provided  for  by  her  legislature. 
The  historical  material  relating  to  Illinois  in   the   possession  of  the  Wisconsin  society  is  vastly 
greater  than   that  which  can  be  found   in   our  own   state,   and   its  collection   rivals  that  of   any 
similar  collection  of  the  kind  in  the  country. 

48  Andreas,  I,  72. 


48  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

them  in  1818.  This  tradition  was  corroborated  by  other  old  voyageurs.  The  evi- 
dences of  this  trading  house  were  pointed  out  to  me  by  Mr.  Deschamps;  the  corn- 
hills  adjoining  were  distinctly  traceable,  though  grown  over  with  grass." 

Antoine  Ouilmette,  a  Frenchman  who  married  a  squaw  of  the  Pottawattomie 
tribe,  came  to  Chicago  in  1790,  as  he  states  in  a  letter  dictated  by  him  and  ad- 
dressed to  John  H.  Kinzie,  in  1839.  The  letter  is  signed  with  a  mark,  as  he  was 
apparently  not  able  to  write  himself.  A  portion  of  the  letter  runs  as  follows: 
"I  came  into  Chicago  in  the  year  1790,  in  July,  witness  old  Mr.  Veaux,  who  knows 
I  was  there."  49  He  also  cites  other  witnesses  of  his  early  residence. 

In  an  exhaustive  account  of  this  pioneer,  published  in  1908  by  the  Evanston 
Historical  Society,  Mr.  Frank  R.  Grover  states  that  he  was  born  near  Montreal  in 
1760,  and  when  he  came  to  Chicago  was  an  employe  of  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany. He  was  not  an  Indian  chief,  as  many  have  supposed,  but  "was  a  type  of 
the  early  French  voyageurs,  who  lived  and  died  among  their  Indian  friends,  loving 
more  the  hardships  and  excitements  of  the  western  frontier  than  the  easier  life  of 
eastern  civilization."  Archange,  his  Indian  wife,  though  mentioned  as  a  "Potta- 
wattomie woman"  in  the  treaty  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  concluded  with  the  Indians  of 
several  tribes  in  1829,  is  spoken  of  by  Mrs.  Kinzie  in  "Wau-Bun"  as  a  half  breed. 
She  and  her  sister  were  in  later  years  of  great  assistance  in  saving  the  life  of  Mrs. 
Helm  at  the  time  of  the  Chicago  massacre  in  1812,  as  will  appear  in  a  later  part 
of  this  work. 

MAPS 

The  early  maps  of  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Western  country  require  some  notice 
in  this  place.  On  Marquette's  map  the  western  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  which 
he  calls  "Lac  des  Ilinois,"  is  defined,  but  the  eastern  shore  is  indicated  by  a  dotted 
line  probably  conjectured  from  the  reports  of  the  savages.  The  Illinois  river  is 
continued  without  a  break  from  its  mouth  to  Lake  Michigan.  The  general  course 
of  the  rivers  over  which  the  journey  of  Joliet  and  Marquette  was  made  is  surpris- 
ingly correct,  •  however.  The  Mississippi  is  called  "Riviere  de  la  Conception,"  that 
being  the  name  given  to  it  by  Marquette.  No  Indian  tribe  is  shown  as  occupying 
the  neighborhood  of  the  Chicago  portage,  though  it  is  well  known  that  the  region 
at  that  time  was  a  part  of  the  hunting  grounds  of  the  Illinois  Indians.50 

Joliet's  map,  drawn  by  him  from  memory  after  his  return  to  Quebec — for  it 
will  be  remembered  that  all  his  records  were  lost  when  his  canoe  was  overturned 
in  the  St.  Lawrence,  while  returning  from  his  voyage  of  discovery — shows  the 
course  of  the  Chicago  river  without,  however,  attaching  any  name  to  it,  but  desig- 
nating the  adjoining  locality  as  a  "portage."  The  general  course  of  the  Illinois 
river  is  shown  with  the  name  of  "Riviere  de  la  Divine."  The  Mississippi  is  shown 
with  the  name  of  "Riviere  de  Buade,"  which  was  the  name  given  to  the  river  by 

49  This   Mr.   Veaux   was   Andrew   Jacques  Vieau,    Sr.    (the   family    name   being   variously 
spelled),  whose  interview  with  the  editor  of  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections  is  contained  in 
those  records.     Of  his  surname  he  said,  "The  family  name  was  originally  De  Veau;  but  as  that 
meant  calf  or  veal,  other  children  would  annoy  my  ancestors  in  their  youth,  by  bleating  in  their 
presence;  so  the  name  was  changed  to  Vieau  in  self-defense.     (Wisconsin  Historical  Collections, 

Vol.  XI,  p.  218.) 

50  "Old  Northwest  Leaflet,"  Vol.  I,  No.  i,  p.  13. 


From  Parkman's  "La  Salle" 

FRANQUELIN'S  MAP  OP  1084 
Made  in  Quebec  from  the  descriptions  of  the  returning  explorers. 


From  Steward's  "Lost  Maramech" 


From    "Michigan   Under    FOOT 
Flags"  by  Daniel  McCoy 

JOHN  MITCHELL'S  MAP  OP  1755,  MADE 
IN   VIRGINIA 


JOLIET'S  MAP 


Originals    iu    the    Congressional     Library, 
Washington,  D.  ('..  and  the  Ryerson  Library, 

In  this  map,  which  Joliet  drew  from  mem-  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan.  This  map  was  used 
ory  after  his  return  to  Quebec,  the  course  of  by  the  commissioners  in  making  the  treaty 
the  Chicago  river  is  shown,  though  there  is  of  peace  in  1783  between  England  and  the 
no  name  attached  to  it.  United  States. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  49 

Joliet  in  honor  of  Frontenac,  Buade  being  his  family  surname.51  As  on  Mar- 
quette's  map,  no  tribes  are  indicated  as  occupying  the  region  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Chicago  river. 

Franquelin,  a  young  engineer  living  at  Quebec,  made  a  map  from  the  descrip- 
tions of  the  returning  explorers.  This  map  was  very  elaborately  executed,  was  six 
by  four  and  a  half  feet  in  size,  and  was  known  as  the  "Franquelin  map  of  1684." 
On  it  is  shown  a  number  of  Indian  villages,  one  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river, 
with  the  name  Cheagoumeman  opposite  the  river's  mouth,  while  a  branch  of  the 
Illinois  river,  occupying  a  position  near  the  course  of  the  Desplaines,  has  the  name 
"Riviere  Chekagou."  In  this  map  the  Mississippi  is  called  by  its  present  name, 
though  it  is  given  the  alternative  name  of  "Riviere  Colbert,"  thus  called  in  honor 
of  the  great  French  minister.52  None  of  these  names  bestowed  by  the  explorers 
upon  the  great  river, — Conception,  Buade,  or  Colbert — were  of  long  duration.  The 
original  Algonquin  name  still  remains, — a  good  example  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest. 
The  Indian  villages  are  shown  with  the  number  of  warriors  in  each.  The  village 
near  Fort  St.  Louis  (Starved  Rock)  was  that  of  the  Shawanoes,  spelled  by  the 
maker  of  the  map  Chaouenons.  The  information  for  the  composition  of  this  map 
was  undoubtedly  supplied  by  La  Salle  himself.  In  a  letter  of  La  Barre,  Governor 
of  Canada,  to  the  French  Minister,  in  1683,  he  says,  "The  young  man  who  made 
these  maps  is  named  Franquelin;  he  is  as  skillful  as  any  in  France,  but  extremely 
poor,  and  in  need  of  a  little  aid  from  his  Majesty  as  an  engineer."  53 

The  map  known  as  "Mitchell's  map"  bears  the  date  of  1755,  having  been  made 
by  Dr.  John  Mitchell,  a  resident  of  Virginia.  All  the  previous  noteworthy  maps 
had  been  the  work  of  French,  Spanish  or  Italian  cartographers.  This  map  was  re- 
printed frequently,  and  was  used  by  the  commissioners  in  making  the  treaty  of 
peace  in  1783  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain.  On  this  map  appears 
the  name  of  "Quadoghe,"  applied  to  the  region  west  of  the  St.  Joseph  river.  There 
is  an  explanatory  remark  following  the  name,  as  follows :  "So  called  by  the  Six 
Nations  [to  indicate]  the  extent  of  their  territories  and  bounds  of  their  deed  of 
sale  to  the  crown  of  Britain  [in]  1701,  renewed  in  1720  and  1744."  54  This  name 
of  Quadoghe  was  used  on  maps  of  later  date,  that  of  Gibson's  map  of  1763  and 
others.  Hurlbut,  in  his  book  "Chicago  Antiquities,"  regards  the  name  as  tnat  of 
an  Indian  tribe,  but  Mr.  John  F.  Steward,  who  has  one  of  the  most  complete  col- 
lections of  early  maps  in  the  country,  considers  that  the  name  Quadoghe  was  a 
term  used  by  the  Iroquois  indicating  the  boundary  or  limit  of  their  territorial  claims 
in  that  region.  This  view  is  in  harmony  with  the  inscription  quoted  above,  and  also 
with  the  general  tenor  of  the  "deed  of  sale"  itself,  which  is  printed  in  full  in  the 

"New  York  Colonial  Documents,"  volume  IV,  page  908. 

,  ^ 

THE    AMERICAN    ABORIGINES 

No  picture  of  the  times,  however,  can  be  complete  without  including  the  figure 
of  the  ubiquitous  red  man.  "No  Indians,  no  trade"  might  well  have  been  the  motto 

61  Andreas,  I,  48.  Joliet's  first  map  is  referred  to  in  Andreas'  text.  Joliet  made  a  later  map, 
dedicated  to  the  French  minister,  Colbert,  in  which  the  Mississippi  river  is  named  in  Colbert's 
honor.  See  Parkman's  "La  Salle"  [1879]  p.  453. 

62Parkman:     "La  Salle"   [1879],  pp.  295,  455. 

53  N.  Y.   Colonial  Documents,  IX,  205. 

54  Hurlbut's  "Chicago  Antiquities,"  p.  268. 
Vol.  I — < 


50  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

of  the  traders  who  were  settled  on  this  spot.  No  white  man  would  have  taken  up 
his  residence  on  this  lonely  frontier  because  of  its  natural  attractions,  for  it  had 
very  few,  nor  in  anticipation  of  its  glorious  future,  of  which  he  did  not  dream. 
But  the  prospect  of  profitable  barter  with  the  Indians  was  a  sufficient  attraction 
for  the  traders,  and  no  place  was  so  remote  but  that  as  soon  as  the  discoverers  had 
pointed  out  the  locab'ty  the  traders  quickly  established  themselves.  Indeed  the 
coureurs  de  bois,  half  savages  as  they  were,  penetrated  the  wilderness  oftentimes 
before  the  discovery  of  its  hidden  mysteries  was  made  known  to  the  world. 

The  Indians  on  the  occasion  of  their  visits  needed  no  provision  for  their  accom- 
modation in  cabin  or  hut.  Like  true  nomads  they  brought  their  own  wigwams,  and 
came  and  went  as  the  whim  seized  them;  always,  however,  watchfully  observant 
of  the  movements  of  other  .tribes  with  whom  their  own  unwritten  laws  and  rude 
authority  would  carry  little  or  no  weight. 

POTTAWATTOMIES   AND   IROQUOIS 

The  surrounding  region  was  generally  recognized  at  that  time  as  the  roaming 
ground  of  the  Pottawattomies,  although  other  tribes  related  to  them  resorted  here 
in  lesser  numbers,  and  were  regarded  as  friends.  Among  these  were  the  Winne- 
bagoes,  Ottawas  and  Chippewas.55  All  these  tribes  had,  like  the  Iroquois,  been 
invaders  of  the  Illinois  Country,  and  these  invasions  had  finally  resulted  in  the  ex- 
termination of  the  Illinois  Indians  at  Starved  Rock  a  few  years  before;  and  they 
now  occupied  this  region  through  the  sufferance  of  those  ferocious  conquerors,  the 
Iroquois. 

The  degree  of  subserviency  of  the  western  tribes  to  the  Iroquois  of  New  York 
is,  however,  difficult  to  estimate.  The  Pottawattomies  were  "French  Indians"  in 
their  sympathies  and  trade  relations  up  to  and  even  after  the  close  of  the  French 
regime  in  1763.  They  were  reluctant  to  acknowledge  the  sway  of  the  British  dur- 
ing the  period  of  their  possession,  but  through  the  commanding  influence  of  the 
New  York  Indians,  they  kept  the  peace  that  was  guaranteed  by  the  Treaty  of  Fort 
Stanwix  in  1768.  This  treaty  was  made  between  the  whites  and  the  Iroquois,  with 
their  "dependent  tribes,"  which  presumably  bound  the  western  Indians,56  though 
afterwards  the  latter  resented  the  proceedings.57  Narrowing  the  view  to  the  Potta- 
wattomies, it  appears  that,  up  to  the  close  of  the  war  of  1812,  the  latter  tribe  were 
strongly  under  British  influence,  though  a  few  were  loyal  to  the  Americans :  and 
that  the  British  agents  probably  made  use  of  the  old  terms  of  subserviency  to  the 
Iroquois,  in  order  to  strengthen  their  hold  upon  them.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
War  of  1812,  the  Iroquois  were  largely  removed  to  Canadian  territory,  north  of 
Lake  Ontario,  and  we  hear  no  more  of  Iroquois  participation  in  treaties  in  which 
the  western  tribes  took  part. 

There  were  two  branches  of  the  Pottawattomies,  one  branch  called  the  Pottaw- 
attomies of  the  Woods,  the  other  the  Pottawattomies  of  the  Prairies.  Their  dif- 
ferent bands  would  unite  and  separate  according  to  the  abundance  or  scarcity  of 
game  or  the  emergencies  of  war.  "The  Pottawattomies  of  the  'Woods,"  says 

5BGrover:     "Our  Indian  Predecessors,"  p.  12;  Beckwith,  Fergus'  Hist.  Series,  No.  27,  p.  163. 
58  New  York  Colonial  Documents,  Vol.  VIII,  p.  135. 
"Winsor:     "Westward   Movement,"    p.   268. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  51 

Grover,  "became  in  time  a  different  people  from  their  western  brethren;  they  were 
susceptible  to  the  influence  of  civilization  and  religion;  and  took  kindly  to  agricul- 
ture to  supplement  the  fruits  of  the  chase." 

"It  was  very  different,  however,  with  the  Prairie  Indians,"  writes  Judge  Caton. 
"They  despised  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  as  too  mean  even  for  their  women  and 
children,  and  deemed  the  captures  of  the  chase  the  only  fit  food  for  a  valorous  peo- 
ple. .  .  Nor  did  they  open  their  ears  to  the  lessons  of  love  and  religion  ten- 
dered them  by  those  who  came  among  them  and  sought  to  do  them  good. 
They  enjoyed  the  wild  roving  life  of  the  prairie,  and,  in  common  with  almost  all 
other  native  Americans,  were  vain  of  their  prowess  and  manhood,  both  in  war  and 
in  the  chase.  They  did  not  settle  down  for  a  great  length  of  time  in  a  given  place, 
but  roamed  across  the  broad  prairies,  from  one  grove  or  belt  of  timber  to  another, 
either  in  single  families  or  in  small  bands,  packing  their  few  effects,  their  children 
and  infirm  on  their  little  Indian  ponies.  They  always  traveled  in  'Indian  file'  upon 
well-beaten  trails,  connecting,  by  the  most  direct  routes,  prominent  points  and  trad- 
ing posts.  These  native  highways  served  as  guides  to  our  early  settlers,  who  fol- 
lowed them  with  as  much  confidence  as  we  now  do  the  roads  laid  out  and  worked 
by  civilized  man."  58 

The  life  of  the  savage  is  of  absorbing  interest  and  attraction  to  the  civilized  man 
living  among  the  restraints  of  modern  life.  And  yet  with  all  the  freedom  he  en- 
joys, he  is  constantly  exposed  to  dangeVs  from  enemies  and  from  natural  calamities, 
has  few  comforts,  and  his  longevity  is  curtailed.  The  races  of  the  savages  do  not 
increase,  but  rather  tend  to  diminish  in  numbers,  while  there  is  little  inclination 
among  them  to  make  progress  along  the  lines  in  which  the  white  race  has  improved 
itself. 

In  his  "Pioneer  History  of  Illinois,"  Governor  John  Reynolds,  whose  acquaint- 
ance with  Indian  disposition  and  habits  of  life  was  of  the  most  intimate  character, 
thus  describes  them: 

"The  Indians  are  somewhat  like  the  Arabs  in  their  migrations.  They  travel 
together  with  several  families,  more  or  less,  according  to  circumstances.  They 
have  their  summer  and  winter  residences  similar  to  the  gentry  of  large  cities ;  but 
for  different  considerations.  These  natives  travel  with  all  their  wealth,  except 
at  times  they  cache  some  articles  in  the  earth,  as  the  French  call  it;  that  is,  they 
hide  the  article  in  the  ground  until  they  return.  A  family  or  a  caravan  of  travel- 
ing Indians  would  make  a  good  subject  for  a  painter.  These  moving  parties  are 
generally  going  or  returning  from  their  winter  hunting-grounds  and  have  with  them 
their  wives,  children,  dogs,  horses  and  all  their  assets  of  every  description.  Each 
family  has  its  own  organization  and  government.  In  the  evening  when  they  camp, 
the  females  do  all  the  work  in  making  the  camp,  fire,  etc.,  while  their  lords  take 
their  ease  in  smoking.  The  whole  Indian  race  of  the  males  is  grave,  sedate,  and 
lazy.  Some  may  go  out  to  hunt  while  the  squaws  are  working.  They  generally 
stop  early  in  the  evening  to  prepare  for  the  night. 

"This  traveling  with  the  Indians  is  a  living  as  much  as  if  they  were  stationary 
in  their  towns.  They  have  nothing  changed  in  their  peregrinations,  only  a  very 
short  distance  of  latitude  or  longitude,  or  a  little  of  both,  on  the  surface  of  the 

•"'"  Caton:     "Miscellanies,"  p.  124. 


52  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

earth.  Therefore  their  migrations  may  be  termed  traveling  residences.  Under  this 
system,  they  make  as  much  improvement  at  each  camp  as  they  do  at  their  winter 
hunting-grounds  or  in  their  towns.  The  small  children  are  often  tied  on  the  horses' 
backs,  to  pack-saddles,  so  they  can  not  fall  off;  the  still  younger  ones  are  tied  on 
boards,  and  while  traveling,  the  boards  are  suspended  by  the  side  of  the  horse. 
These  boards  answer  a  valuable  purpose  to  the  Indians  in  traveling  as  well  as  at 
home.  They  are  light  and  nicely  made;  are  longer  than  the  child  and  some  wider. 
A  hoop  of  strong  hickory  wood  is  bent  over  the  face  of  the  papoose  and  the  ends 
made  fast  in  the  plank.  Holes  are  pierced  in  the  edges  of  the  board,  through  which 
straps  are  passed  to  secure  the  bed  and  the  child  fast  to  the  plank.  Blankets  and 
other  clothes  are  placed  between  the  infant  and  the  wood  and  likewise  around  the 
small  one;  so  that  it  and  its  bed  are  safely  and  securely  made  fast  to  the  board. 
The  hoop  is  often  covered  with  a  cloth  or  small  piece  of  blanket,  so  that  the  child 
is  perfectly  at  its  ease  and  safe  from  external  violence.  At  the  end  of  the  board 
a  strap  is  passed  through  a  hole  and  the  ends  tied  together.  When  the  squaws  are 
busy,  they  hang  the  boards  and  children  up  out  of  the  way  from  a  limb  of  a  tree; 
so  the  infants  are  safe  while  the  mothers  do  the  work.  Sometimes  they  lean  the 
board  and  child  against  a  tree  or  post  for  safe-keeping.  This  is  better  for  the  child 
than  sleeping  in  a  cradle.  Children  placed  on  these  boards  grow  straight,  which 
is  the  reason  the  Indians  are  generally  more  erect  than  white  men. 

"The  Indians  in  their  diet  are  not  fastidious  or  tasty.  They  display  no  un- 
friendly feelings  to  dirt  or  filth.  They  often  pack  their  meat,  in  their  journeys, 
by  running  a  tug-rope  through  each  piece,  which  is  cut  six  or  seven  inches  square, 
and  tying  the  tug  to  the  saddle ;  the  meat  is  suspended  by  the  side  of  the  horse,  ex- 
posed to  flies,  dirt,  etc.  In  their  journeys,  the  males  mostly  ride  and  make  the 
females  walk.  The  manner  in  which  the  females  are  treated  in  any  country  is  an 
exact  index  to  the  barbarity  or  civilization  of  the  communitv."  59 


INDIAN    TRAITS 


The  Indian  is  a  man,  indeed,  but  one  in  the  child  stage  of  development,  in 
which  passions  and  impulses  are  stronger,  and  reasoning  powers  more  feeble,  than 
they  are  with  civilized  men.  His  powers  of  observation  are  highly  trained,  yet  on 
matters  without  the  range  of  his  limited  experience  he  reasons  like  a  child.  In- 
dians are  savages  and  have  the  vices  of  savages,  but  they  also  have  savage  virtues, 
many  of  which  are  admirable.  Among  them  a  liar  is  regarded  with  contempt,  and 
when  a  man  has  once  been  detected  in  an  untruth  it  is  difficult  for  him  to  regain  his 
reputation. 

"Nowhere  in  the  world  was  property  more  safe  than  in  the  old  time  Indian 
camp,"  says  a  writer  in  the  "Atlantic  Monthly."  It  is  related  that  some  years 
ago  two  white  men  and  an  interpreter  visited  an  Indian  Camp  in  the  West.  Leav- 
ing their  belongings  lying  loose  in  a  lodge  to  go  out  for  a  stroll,  one  of  the  men 
said  to  the  interpreter,  "I  have  left  all  my  things  inside;  will  they  be  safe?"  "Safe," 
replied  the  other,  "sure,  they'll  be  safe.  There  ain't  a  white  man  within  thirty 
miles  of  here."  There  are  no  locks  and  keys  in  an  Indian  encampment;  such  de- 

S9  Reynolds,  "Pioneer   History  of   Illinois,"   p.  283. 


By  permission  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society.    From  Tallin's  "North  American  Indians" 

INDIAN  DANCE 


By  permission  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society.     After  a  picture  from  Catlin's  "North  American  Indians" 


AN  INDIAN  ENCAMPMENT 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  53 

vices  are  only  necessary  among  white  people.  Dr.  Charles  Eastman,  a  full-blooded 
Sioux  Indian,  when  he  was  first  brought  East  to  attend  school,  relates  that  on  ar- 
riving in  Chicago,  he  was  cautioned  against  pickpockets.  "Evidently,"  he  wrote, 
"there  were  some  disadvantages  connected  with  this  mighty  civilization,  for  we 
Indians  seldom  find  it  necessary  to  guard  our  possessions." 

But  though  we  are  obliged  to  chronicle  his  evil  deeds,  which  indeed  more  quickly 
arrest  our  attention  and  are  the  most  conspicuous  in  the  annals  of  the  American 
Indian,  yet  when  we  consider  the  better  side  of  his  nature  we  may  regard  him  in 
a  spirit  of  indulgence  and  charity;  and  the  dismal  tale  of  "his  warfares  and  hostility 
to  the  superior  race,  which  has  finally  overwhelmed  him,  may  be  relegated  to  the 
limbo 

"Of  old,  unhappy,  far  off  things, 
And  battles  long  ago." 

SUMMARY 

Having  now  arrived  at  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century  in  the  progress  of  our 
history,  let  us  look  about  us  and  take  a  survey  of  what  we  find  within  our  view. 
At  the  mouth  of  the  river,  at  a  point  about  where  the  foot  of  Pine  street  now  is, 
stood  the  cabin  and  trading  house  of  Le  Mai,  and  near  it,  a  few  yards  to  the 
northwest,  was  the  less  pretentious  cabin  of  Ouilmette,  and  two  others.  Near  these 
cabins  were  the  gardens  of  the  occupants.  The  landscape  was  the  same  as  that 
looked  upon  by  the  discoverers  a  century  and  a  quarter  before.  There  was  little 
sign  of  the  life  and  activity  which  were  soon  to  manifest  themselves  in  such  a 
marvelous  manner  on  this  spot.  There  was  the  glorious  view  of  the  lake  to  the 
eastward,  its  blue  waters  extending  beyond  the  utmost  stretch  of  the  vision,  just 
as  it  is  today  and  just  as  it  has  been  since  the  dawn  of  creation.  Looking  south 
along  the  shore  its  superb  curve,  rivaling  even  that  of  the  Bay  of  Naples,  trended 
easterly  until  the  distant  shores  were  lost  to  view.  Along  the  beach  low  ranges  of 
sand  dunes  met  the  eye,  and  back  of  them  the  prairie  stretched  away  far  to  the 
southwest  beyond  the  range  of  vision, — this  being  that  portion  of  the  "Grand 
Prairie"  of  Illinois  which,  for  a  space  of  some  four  or  five  miles,  bordered  on  the 
shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  Towards  the  west  and  southwest  along  the  course  of  the 
river  clumps  of  timber  could  be  seen  in  the  distance,  while  to  the  north  the  forest 
held  sway  completely  from  lake  to  river,  a  forest  that  continued  unbroken  except  in 
marshy  tracts  as  far  as  the  timber  line  in  the  extreme  north. 


CHAPTER  IV 

CHICAGO  FROM  1803  TO  1812 

SIGNIFICANCE  AND  RESULTS  OF  LOUISIANA  PURCHASE- — PROPOSED  FORT  ON  LAKE  MICHI- 
GAN  FORT   ORDERED   AT   CHICAGO ARRIVAL   OF  THE   GARRISON DESCRIPTION   OF 

FORT   DEARBORN CAPTAIN    WHISTLER GENERAL    DEARBORN JOHN    KINZIE^S   AR- 
RIVAL AT  CHICAGO THE   AFFAIR   WITH   LALIME THE   KINGSBURY  PAPERS VOY- 

AGEURS SUMMARY  OF  EVENTS  AND  CONDITIONS  UNTIL  1812 WESTERN  EMIGRATION 

ILLINOIS  TERRITORY CHICAGO   FROM    1803  TO   1812 WAR  OF   1812  FORESHAD- 
OWED  CAPTAIN    HEALD    AT    FORT    DEARBORN MARRIAGE    OF    CAPTAIN    HEALD 

CAPTAIN  WILLIAM  WELLS INDIANS  ATTACK  HARDSCRABBLE. 

LOUISIANA  PURCHASE:-    ITS  SIGNIFICANCE   AND  RESULTS 

"Louisiana  Purchase,"  consummated  on  April  30,  1803,  added  a  vast 
territory  to  the  American  possessions  beyond  the  Mississippi,  and  greatly 
increased  the  responsibilities  of  the  general  government.  The  public 
men  of  that  day  but  dimly  realized  the  full  import  and  meaning  of  the 
situation  created  by  this  immense  acquisition  to  the  territory  of 
the  United  States ;  but  with  characteristic  energy  and  good  sense  they  set  about 
the  task  before  them.  "The  winning  of  Louisiana  .  .  .  followed  inevitably 
upon  the  great  westward  thrust  of  the  settler-folk,"  says  Roosevelt  in  his  "Win- 
ning of  the  West,"  "a  thrust  which  was  delivered  blindly,  but  which  no  rival  race 
could  parry,  until  it  was  stopped  by  the  ocean  itself." 

Now  that  the  land  had  been  acquired,  there  must  be  protection  provided  for  the 
settlers  against  the  tribes  of  savages  which  they  might  encounter,  and  a  wise  ex- 
ercise of  governmental  authority  instituted.  The  new  regions  must  be  explored 
and  an  adequate  knowledge  of  their  natural  features  and  extent  obtained. 

President  Jefferson  planned  an  expedition  of  exploration  into  the  unknown  coun- 
try which  the  nation  had  just  purchased.  This  expedition  was  organized  and  placed 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Meriwether  Lewis  and  Lieutenant  William  Clark, 
a  younger  brother  of  the  celebrated  Colonel  George  Rogers  Clark.  It  started  from 
St.  Louis  in  May,  1804,  and  reached  the  Pacific  Coast  in  the  fall  of  the  following 
year.  The  Northwest  Territory  had  been  organized  in  1787,  from  which  the  state 
of  Ohio  was  formed  and  admitted  in  1803.  Already  Kentucky  had  been  admitted 
(1792),  and  Tennessee  came  into  the  Union  four  years  later.  Western  emigration 
was  increasing  at  a  marvelous  rate,  and  protection  by  the  military  forces  of  the 
government  was  essential  to  the  safety  of  the  settlers.  The  Indians,  notwithstand- 
ing the  sound  thrashing  they  had  received  at  the  battle  of  Fallen  Timbers,  were  be- 
coming restless  at  many  points  on  the  frontier,  the  activities  of  British  intrigue 

54 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  55 

keeping  them  in  a  ferment.  The  posts  at  Detroit  and  Mackinac  were  at  last  in  the 
possession  of  the  Americans,  the  British  having  continued  to  occupy  them  long  after 
the  treaty  of  peace  of  1783. 

The  Indians,  however,  little  regarded  the  transfer  of  authority  from  one  civil- 
ized government  to  another.  "They  were  as  little  affected  by  the  transfer  as  was 
the  game  they  hunted.  .  .  .  The  National  Government  was  making  its  weight 
felt  more  and  more  in  the  West,"  says  Roosevelt,  "because  the  West  was  itself  be- 
coming more  and  more  an  important  integral  portion  of  the  Union." 

PLANS  FOR  A  FORT  ON  LAKE  MICHIGAN 

i 

In  pursuance  of  its  policy  to  get  a  firmer  grasp  on  its  western  possessions  the 
authorities  at  Washington  determined  to  establish  a  fort  on  Lake  Michigan. 
Blanchard  in  his  history,  following  a  memoir  printed  in  the  Michigan  Pioneer  col- 
lection, says  that  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph  River,  nearly  opposite  Chicago  on 
Lake  Michigan,  was  at  first  selected  by  commissioners  sent  from  Washington  for 
the  purpose  of  finding  a  suitable  location  for  the  proposed  fort.  The  memoir  quoted 
from  says  that  preparations  were  made  to  build  the  fort  at  St.  Joseph,  when  the 
Indians  of  the  country  withheld  their  consent  for  its  construction,  and  the  commis- 
sioners, having  no  power  to  take  possession,  were  obliged  to. select  another  place.1 
In  the  Treaty  of  Greenville  previously  described  a  tract  "six  miles  square  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Chikago  river"  had  been  ceded  by  the  Indians  to  the  United  States, 
together  with  various  other  small  tracts  in  different  parts  of  the  West.  The  lo- 
cality at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph  River  was  one  of  the  tracts  mentioned  in  that 
treaty. 

The  Michigan  pioneer  from  whom  we  have  our  information  further  says  in  re- 
gard to  the  abandonment  of  the  first  selection  made  by  the  commissioners,  "we 
conclude  that  had  the  fort  been  built  at  St.  Joseph  there  would  have  been  no  Chi- 
cago," 2  Mason,  in  his  "Chapters  from  Illinois  History,"  comments  on  this  story 
in  the  following  language:  "This  matter  of  a  fort  seems  to  have  been  peculiarly 
disastrous  to  the  St.  Joseph  Country.  When  it  had  one  it  constantly  invited  capture, 
and  caused  the  inhabitants  to  spend  more  or  less  of  their  lives  as  prisoners  of  war ; 
and  when  it  did  not  have  one,  it  thereby  lost  the  opportunity  of  becoming  the  com- 
mercial metropolis  of  the  Northwest.  I  know  of  no  such  tract  of  land  in  all  this 
section  which  has  been  so  singularly  unfortunate  as  the  St.  Joseph  region." 

But  it  seems  hardly  likely  that  even  if  the  proposed  fort  had  been  located  at 
St.  Joseph  the  future  of  Chicago's  greatness  would  have  been  essentially  different 
from  what  it  has  proved  to  be  in  the  reality.  "We  do  not  believe  it  was  the  purpose 
of  the  government  at  any  time,"  says  Hurlbut,  "to  erect  that  'one  fort  on  Lake 
Michigan'  at  St.  Joseph  river;  nor,  if  it  had  been  built,  can  we  see  how  that  would 
have  made  any  difference  with  Chicago.  We  are  aware,"  he  continues,  "that  where 
nature  has  placed  no  obstacles  to  prevent,  very  slight  circumstances  sometimes  draw 
or  change  the  position  or  settlement  of  a  town  this  way  or  that.  But  with  such 
palpable  and  insuperable  natural  advantages,  possessed  by  the  'six  miles  square  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Chikago  river,'  it  can  scarcely  be  less  than  idle  to  think  that  a 

1  Michigan   Pioneer  Collection,   Vol.   I,   p.   122. 
-  Hurlbut's    "Chicago   Antiquities."    p.    364. 


56  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

small  wooden  'tomahawk  fortress,'  built  across  the  lake  in  Michigan,  might  nullify 
its  every  assurance  of  manifest  destiny." 

FORT  TO  BE  LOCATED  AT  CHICAGO 

"Rumors  that  a  garrison  would  be  stationed  at  Chicago  were  in  circulation  at 
early  as  1798,"  says  Andreas  in  his  history.  This  refers  to  a  letter  written  by 
William  Burnett,  a  trader  of  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  to  a  firm  in  Montreal.  The  let- 
ter is  dated  August  24,  1798,  in  the  course  of  which  he  says:  "Last  winter  I  wrote 
you  that  it  is  expected  that  there  will  be  a  garrison  at  Chicago  this  summer,  and. 
from  late  accounts,  I  have  reason  to  expect  that  they  [the  members  of  the  garrison] 
will  be  over  there  this  fall ;  and  should  it  be  the  case,  and  as  I  have  a  house  there 
already,  and  a  promise  of  assistance  from  headquarters,  I  will  have  occasion  for  a 
good  deal  of  liquors,  and  some  other  articles,  for  that  post." 

Burnett's  expectations  were  not  realized  until  five  years  later,  but  the  interest 
in  western  affairs  received  a  new  impetus  after  the  Louisiana  purchase,  and  the 
plan  for  a  fort  on  Lake  Michigan  was  revived  and  measures  taken  to  establish  it 
In  July,  1803,  Captain  John  Whistler  received  orders  from  the  War  Department 
to  proceed  to  Chicago  with  a  company  of  regulars  to  occupy  that  point  and  build 
a  fort.  General  Henry  Dearborn,  a  distinguished  officer  of  the  Revolution,  was  a1 
that  time  Secretary  of  War.  The  company  marched  overland  in  charge  of  Lieu- 
tenant James  S.  Swearingen;  while  the  United  States  schooner  "Tracy"  conveyed 
the  Captain  and  his  wife,  together  with  his  son,  Lieutenant  William  Whistler  and 
his  wife  and  a  younger  son,  by  way  of  the  lakes ;  thus  it  will  be  seen  that  there  wert 
two  generations  of  the  Whistlers  in  the  party.  The  schooner  stopped  on  the  wa\ 
at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  where  the  Whistlers  left  the  vessel  and  took  i 
row-boat  to  Chicago,  though  the  reason  for  this  is  not  stated  in  the  accounts.3 

*  ARRIVAL    OF    THE    GARRISON 

The  schooner,  on  arriving  at  Chicago,  anchored  a  half  mile  from  shore  and  dis- 
charged her  cargo  by  boats.  A  large  number  of  Indians  visited  the  scene,  attracted 
by  the  unusual  spectacle;  they  called  the  schooner  the  "big  canoe  with  wings."  Soor 
afterward  the  vessel  returned  to  Detroit  with  Lieutenant  Swearingen  on  board 
who  thenceforth  has  no  further  connection  witli  our  history.  Before  dismissing 
him,  however,  from  these  pages,  it  may  be  of  interest  to  readers  to  add  that  at  tin; 
time  he  was  a  second  lieutenant  in  the  United  States  artillery  service,  and  that  dur 
ing  the  ensuing  War  of  1812  he  rose  to  the  rank  of  colonel.  In  his  later  years  he  es 
tablished  his  residence  in  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  where  he  died  in  1864,  at  the  age  o1 
eighty-two. 

Upon  his  arrival  Captain  Whistler  at  once  set  about  the  construction  of  a  stock 
ade  and  barracks  for  the  troops.  The  site  selected  was  on  the  south  bank  of  th< 
Chicago  river  at  the  present  intersection  of  River  Street  and  Michigan  Avenue.  A 
model  of  the  fort  is  shown  in  the  rooms  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society.  As  this 
fort  w.as  burned  in  1812,  and  was  even  then  but  little  known,  few  records  othei 
than  those  of  a  very  brief  official  character  are  in  existence.  The  recollections  o1 

*  Mrs.  Wm.  Whistler's  narrative,  see  Hurlbut's  "Chicago  Antiquities,"  p.  25. 


From  the  Northwest.    By  permission  or  the  Chicago  Historical  Society 


FORT  DEARBORN  AND  AGENCY  HOUSE  (1803-4) 


By  permission  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 


FORT  DEARBORN   IN  1804 

Destroyed  at  the  time  of  the  Chicago  Massacre  in  1812.    The  later  Fort  Dearborn  was 

built  in  1816. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  57 

those  who  were  present  at  the  time,  and  whose  accounts  have  been  preserved,  are 
our  principal  reliance  for  details  connected  with  the  period. 

An  important  contribution  to  our  knowledge  of  the  period  is  furnished  by  the 
narrative  of  Mrs.  William  Whistler  in  1875,  then  over  eighty-eight  years  of  age. 
She  was  the  young  wife  of  Lieutenant  William  Whistler,  previously  mentioned,  who 
accompanied  his  father  Captain  Whistler  to  establish  the  post  in  July,  1803.  Mrs. 
Whistler  was  with  her  husband,  and  with  them  was  a  younger  brother  of  her  hus- 
band, George  W.  Whistler,  who  later,  in  1814,  graduated  at  West  Point,  served 
in  the  army  until  1833,  when  he  resigned,  and  was  afterwards  in  the  employ  of 
the  Russian  government  as  an  engineer. 

In  the  life  of  James  A.  McNeill  Whistler,  by  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  Pennell, 
we  find  this:  "According  to  Mr.  Eddy,  Whistler  once  said  to  a  visitor  from  Chi- 
cago, 'Chicago,  dear  me,  what  a  wonderful  place!  I  really  ought  to  visit  it  some 
day — for,  you  know,  my  grandfather  founded  the  city  and  my  uncle  was  the  last 
commander  of  Fort  Dearborn !'  " 

At  the  time  the  narrative  was  reduced  to  writing,  Mrs.  Whistler  was  in  Chicago 
visiting  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Colonel  Robert  A.  Kinzie,  her  home  being  in  Newport, 
Kentucky.  An  interview  was  sought  by  Mr.  Henry  H.  Hurlbut,  the  author  of  "Chi- 
cago Antiquities."  In  this  work  he  says  he  called  on  Mrs.  Whistler  in  October, 
1875,  and  heard  from  her  own  lips  the  account  of  her  arrival  in  Chicago  with  her 
husband  in  the  summer  of  1803. 

They  found  here  but  "four  rude  huts  or  traders'  cabins,"  said  Mrs.  WThistler. 
These  were  occupied  by  Joseph  Le  Mai  and  Antoine  Ouilmette,  mentioned  in  the 
previous  chapter,  and  a  man  by  the  name  of  Pettell,  concerning  whom  we  have  no 
further  information.4  Such  others  as  may  have  been  here  at  the  time  are  not  named 
in  the  narrative. 

No  horses  or  oxen  were  available  in  the  vicinity,  and  the  timber  used  in  con- 
struction was  dragged  from  the  woods  with  ropes  by  the  soldiers.  The  fort  was 
called  Fort  Dearborn  in  honor  of  the  Secretary  of  War.  Captain  Whistler  con- 
tinued in  command  of  the  fort  until  the  summer  of  1810,  when  he  was  relieved  by 
Captain  Nathan  Heald,  of  whom  further  mention  will  be  made.  At  the  end  of 
the  year  an  official  "return"  of  the  post  was  made.  The  post  is  described  as  "Fort 
Dearborn,  Indiana  Territory,"  and  the  return  is  dated  December  31,  1803.  Ac- 
cording to  this  return,  there  were  sixty-nine  officers  and  men  in  the  garrison  at  that 
time.5 

THE    FIRST    FORT    DEARBORN:    CAPTAIN    WHISTLER 

The  first  Fort  Dearborn  stood  nearly  on  the  site  of  the  fort  erected  in  1816, 
that  is,  fronting  north  on  the  bank  of  the  river  at  the  intersection  of  the  present 
Michigan  Avenue  and  River  Street,  near  the  southern  end  of  Rush  Street  bridge. 

4  This  man  may  have  been  the  same  one  who  is  referred  to  in  the  narrative  of  Andrew 
J.  Vieau,  Si.,  published  in  Vol.  XI  of  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  as  Mike  le  Petteel,  the 
narrator's  tutor  in  about  1828,  at  Green  Bay.  Mr.  Vieau  says  that  this  Mike  le  Petteel  was  his 
father's  clerk  in  1795,  when  his  father  was  establishing  fur-trading  posts  on  Lake  Michigan. 
In  the  narrative  of  Peter  J.  Vieau,  Andrew's  younger  brother,  (Wisconsin  Historical  Collections, 
Vol.  XV,  463)  the  same  man,  called  here  Michael  le  Pellieur,  is  spoken  of  as  Peter's  tutor  in  1826. 
5  Andreas'  "History  of  Chicago,"  I,  80. 


58  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

There  were  two  block  houses,  one  at  the  northwest  corner,  the  other  at  the  south- 
east corner.  The  sally-port  was  on  the  northern  side  towards  the  river,  and  there 
was  a  subterranean  passage  from  the  parade  ground  within  the  fort  to  the  river, 
"designed  either  to  facilitate  escape,  in  case  of  an  emergency,  or  as  a  means  of 
supplying  the  garrison  with  water  during  a  siege."  ll  The  whole  was  enclosed  by  a 
strong  palisade  of  wooden  pickets.  At  the  west  of  the  fort,  fronting  north  on  the 
river,  there  was  a  log  building  two  stories  in  height  used  as  a  "factory"  by  the  gov- 
ernment. Between  the  fort  and  the  building  just  mentioned  were  the  "root  houses" 
or  cellars  of  the  garrison,  with  doors  opening  on  the  sloping  bank  of  the  river.7 
The  fort  was  armed  with  three  pieces  of  light  artillery,  and  a  magazine  within 
the  enclosure  was  provided  with  necessary  ammunition  for  the  use  of  the  garrison. 
Captain  John  Whistler,  who  spent  seven  years  in  command  of  the  post  at  Fort 
Dearborn,  had  been  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  fighting  on  the  British  side. 
He  was  a  native  of  Ireland  and  came  to  America  as  a  British  soldier.  He  was  in 
Burgoyne's  army  and  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Americans  when  that  army  sur- 
rendered at  Saratoga,  in  1777.  After  the  war  he  took  up  his  residence  at  Hagers- 
town,  Maryland,  where  he  married,  and  where  his  son,  William  Whistler,  was  born. 
Later  he  enlisted  in  the  American  army,  taking  part  in  the  campaigns  against  the 
Indians  in  the  W'est.  He  served  under  St.  Clair  and  afterwards  under  Wayne, 
being  successively  promoted  to  lieutenant  and  captain.  After  his  service  in  com- 
mand at  Fort  Dearborn,  he  was  placed  in  command  at  Fort  Wayne,  having  been 
again  honored  by  promotion  to  the  rank  of  major  by  brevet.  Major  John  Whistlei 
died  in  Missouri,  in  the  year  1827.  He  was  a  brave  and  efficient  soldier,  a  man  oi 
ability  and  discretion,  and  the  progenitor  of  soldiers  who  reached  high  regimenta' 
rank.  His  son  William  was  in  command  at  Fort  Dearborn  in  1832,  while  anothei 
son,  George  W.  Whistler,  as  we  have  seen,  was  graduated  at  West  Point,  and 
afterwards  became  a  distinguished  engineering  officer  in  the  Russian  government 
service. 

GENERAL    HENRY    DEARBORN 

General  Henry  Dearborn,  referred  to  in  connection  with  the  establishment  oi 
Fort  Dearborn  in  1803,  requires  some  notice  in  this  place.  The  name  of  Dearbon 
is  a  favorite  one  among  Chicago  localities  and  institutions,  and  our  city  honors  it 
self  in  thus  perpetuating  the  memory  of  a  man  who,  though  he  never  visited  Chi 
cago,  held  positions  of  responsibility  and  honor  in  the  affairs  of  the  country.  Gen 
eral  Dearborn  was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  and  at  the  time  of  which  we  write 
was  a  man  fifty-two  years  old.  After  passing  through  the  best  schools  of  the  stati 
in  which  he  was  born,  he  studied  medicine,  and  practiced  his  profession  for  somi 
years  before  the  Revolution.  While  yet  only  twenty-four  years  of  age,  he  raisec 
a  company  of  militia  and  joined  the  regiment  commanded  by  Colonel  John  Stark 
afterwards  the  hero  of  the  battle  of  Bennington.  As  a  captain  young  Dearbori 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  and  soon  after  was  with  Arnold  in  the  ill 
starred  expedition  to  Canada,  where  he  was  taken  prisoner.  Having  beei 
exchanged,  he  again  entered  the  American  service,  and  as  major  assisted  in  thi 
capture  of  Burgoyne's  army  at  Saratoga.  During  this  campaign  he  kept  a  journal 

"Wau-Bun   (Caxton  Club  Ed.)  p.  156. 
7  Fergus'  Historical  Series,  No.  16,  p.  n. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  59 

which  is  now  preserved  in  the  Boston  Public  Library.  The  entry  made  the  day  of 
the  surrender  is  as  follows:  "This  day  the  great  Mr.  Burgoyne  with  his  whole 
army  surrendered  themselves  as  prisoners  of  war  with  all  their  public  stores;  and, 
after  grounding  their  arms,  marched  off  for  New  England — the  greatest  conquest 
ever  known."  Later  in  the  war  he  was  promoted  to  be  lieutenant-colonel,  and  was 
present  at  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown  in  1781;  after  which  he  wrote 
in  his  journal.  "Here  ends  my  military  life."  He  was,  however,  afterwards  coin- 
missioned  as  a  major-general  of  militia  by  the  state  of  Massachusetts,  later  became 
a  member  of  Congress,  and,  in  1801,  was  appointed  Secretary  of  War  by  President 
Jefferson.  He  remained  in  this  office  for  eight  years  during  the  two  terms  of  Pres- 
ident Jefferson's  administration.  In  the  War  of  1812,  General  Dearborn  was  ap- 
pointed senior  major-general  and  did  excellent  service.  Afterwards  he  made  his 
home  in  Boston,  where  he  died  in  1829  in  the  seventy-ninth  year  of  his  age.8  A 
copy  of  Gilbert  Stuart's  portrait  of  General  Dearborn  is  hanging  ,on  the  walls  of 
the  Chicago  Historical  Society.  John  Wentworth  said  of  him,  "One  of  the  highest 
compliments  paid  to  General  Dearborn  is  the  fact  that  whilst  the  names  of  so 
many  of  our  streets  have  been  changed  to  gratify  the  whims  of  our  aldermen,  no 
attempt  has  been  made  to  change  that  of  Dearborn  Street.  Not  only  is  this  the 
case,  but  the  name  Dearborn  continues  to  be  prefixed  to  institutions,  enterprises, 
and  objects  which  it  is  the  desire  of  projectors  to  honor."9 

ARRIVAL    OP    KINZIE     FAMILY 

The  early  days  of  all  cities  and  sections  are  usually  connected  with  the  name  of 
some  individual  or  family  well  known  in  its  history.  The  beginnings  of  Philadel- 
phia, for  example,  are  associated  with  the  name  of  William  Penn;  those  of  St. 
Louis  with  that  of  Pierre  Laclede ;  and  of  Milwaukee  with  Solomon  Juneau.  So 
also,  in  the  early  history  and  settlement  of  Chicago,  the  name  of  Kinzie  must  al- 
ways be  mentioned  with  a  degree  of  fulness  not  permitted  to  any  other  name. 

The  year  following  the  building  of  Fort  Dearborn,  John  Kinzie  came  to  Chi- 
cago. He  bought  the  cabin  of  Le  Mai,  and  occupied  it  both  for  trading  and  living 
purposes.  Kinzie  was  an  Indian  trader  and  had  already  been  doing  business  at 
Detroit  for  several  years  previous  to  his  arrival  in  Chicago.  He  is  referred  to  as 
"merchant"  and  also  as  "silversmith,"  in  the  records  of  some  land  transactions  in 
Detroit.  In  "Wau-Bun"  it  is  stated  that  Kinzie  "early  entered  into  the  Indian 
trade  and  had  establishments  at  Sandusky,  Maumee,  and  afterwards  pushed  fur- 
ther west,  about  the  year  1800,  to  St.  Joseph's." 

The  date  of  the  first  entry  on  the  books  of  John  Kinzie  at  Chicago  is  May  12th, 
1804.10  He  became  sutler  for  the  garrison  at  Fort  Dearborn,  and  soon  won  the 
confidence  of  the  officers  of  the  post.  "It  is  quite  likely,"  says  Hurlbut,  "that  Mr. 
Kinzie  had  often  been  at  Chicago  before  on  business  in  the  time  of  fur  trading." 
He  was  then  about  forty  years  of  age,  was  regarded  as  a  man  of  intelligence,  and 
had  a  large  acquaintance  among  prominent  men.  He  was  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  the  Indian  character,  and  had  had  much  experience  in  dealing  with  Indians. 

8  "The  Dearborns,"  by  Daniel  Goodwin,  Jr.,  .p.  32. 

9  "The  Dearborns,"   by   Daniel    Goodwin,   Jr.,   p.   48. 
JOHurlbut's  "Chicago   Antiquities,"   p.  470. 


60  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

He  could  speak  their  language  and  enjoyed  their  respect  and  friendship,  and  in 
times  of  difficulty  the  military  people  consulted  him  regarding  their  relations  with 
the  tribes.  There  is  little  doubt  that  had  his  advice  been  followed  the  dreadful 
massacre  which  occurred  a  few  years  later  would  have  been  avoided. 

For  such  readers  as  desire  to  learn  more  of  John  Kinzie,  the  "Father  of  Chicago," 
as  he  has  been  called,  the  following  details  of  his  career  will  be  of  interest.  John 
Kinzie  was  born  at  Quebec  about  the  year  1763.  This  was  soon  after  the  French 
possessions  in  America  had  been  ceded  to  the  English.  The  father  of  John  Kinzie 
was  a  Scotchman  whose  name  was  John  McKenzie.  He  died  while  John  was  an 
infant,  and  his  widow  married  William  Forsyth;  soon  after  the  family  removed  to 
New  York.  Here  young  John,  or  "Johnny  Kinzie,"  as  he  had  come  to  be  called, 
was  placed  in  school  with  two  of  his  Forsyth  half-brothers.  At  the  age  of  ten  he 
ran  away,  leaving  his  books  and  school,  and  took  passage  on  a  sloop  bound  for  Al- 
bany, resolved  to  find  his  way  to  his  old  home  in  Quebec.  By  good  fortune  he 
found  a  friendly  fellow  passenger  who  assisted  him  to  his  destination,  where  he 
sought  and  found  employment  as  a  silversmith,  becoming  an  apprentice  under  a 
kind  master.  Here  he  remained  three  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  he 
returned  to  his  parents,  who  had  in  the  mean  time  removed  to  Detroit. 

Young  Kinzie  found  his  trade  of  silversmith  of  advantage  to  him,  and  he  read- 
ily procured  employment.  He  also  became  engaged  in  trade  with  the  Indians  and 
in  time  established  a  business  of  his  own  with  branches  at  other  points.  During 
these  years  he  formed  an  attachment  for  a  young  woman  of  Virginian  parentage 
named  Margaret  McKenzie,  who  had  for  many  years  been  a  captive  among  the  In- 
dians in  Ohio.  Three  children  were  born  to  them, — William,  James  and  Elizabeth. 
Margaret  McKenzie  and  her  sister  Elizabeth  had  been  carried  off  when  children 
from  their  parents'  home  in  Virginia  by  Indians,  during  the  so-called  "Lord  Dun- 
more's  War,"  in  1774.  When  they  had  grown  up  the  chief  who  had  adopted  them 
took  them  with  him  on  a  visit  to  Detroit,  peaceful  relations  with  the  tribes  having 
been  once  more  established.  Here  John  Kinzie  saw  Margaret,  and  Elizabeth  her 
sister,  also  found  a  partner  in  Alexander  Clark,  a  Scotch  trader.  .  .  .  The  fa- 
ther of  these  two  girls,  having  heard  at  his  Virginia  home  of  the  presence  of  his 
daughters  at  Detroit,  laboriously  worked  his  way  thither  to  visit  them.  "There 
was  a  pathetic  reunion,  and  when  the  white-haired  frontiersman  went  back  to  Vir- 
ginia, Margaret  and  Elizabeth,  declining  the  legal  marriage  proffered  by  their  con- 
sorts, followed  him  to  the  old  home,"  u  Margaret  taking  her  three  children  along 
with  her. 

The  sisters  were  afterwards  legally  married,  Margaret  to  Benjamin  Hall,  and 
Elizabeth  to  Jonas  Clybourn.  Both  of  these  men  as  well  as  sons  of  these  second 
unions,  afterwards  became  residents  of  Chicago,  and  took  prominent  parts  in  the 
drama  of  the  pioneer  life  of  the  place. 

In  the  year  1800,  John  Kinzie  met  and  married  Eleanor  (Lytle)  McKillip,  a 
widow  with  a  daughter  named  Margaret.  There  seemed  to  have  been  as  many 
Margarets  in  our  narrative  as  there  were  in  Shakespeare's  "King  Richard  III," 
making  it  somewhat  bewildering  to  the  casual  reader  to  keep  them  distinct  in  his 
mind.  Mrs.  McKillip,  whose  maiden  name  was  Eleanor  Lytle,  had  a  thrilling  and 
romantic  experience  as  a  child,  which  is  fully  related  in  "Wau-Bun."  She  had  been 

11  "Wau-Bun,"  p.  XV. 


From  a  copy  of  Gilbert  Stuart's  portrait,  the  copy  being  in  possession  of  the  Chicago 
Historical  Society 

GENERAL  HENRY  DEARBORN 

Genera!  Dearborn  issued  the  order  to  Captain  John  Whistler 
to  go  to  Chicago  with  a  company  of  soldiers  to  occupy  that  place 
and  there  build  a  fort.  The  fort  was  named  iu  honor  of  General 
Dearborn. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  61 

a  captive  for  four  years  in  a  tribe  of  Seneca  Indians,  and  had  been  adopted  into 
the  family  of  an  Indian  chief  known  as  Corn-Planter.  At  length,  actuated  by  a 
sudden  impulse  of  generosity,  the  chief  restored  her  to  her  parents,  soon  after  which 
the  Lytle  family  removed  to  Detroit.  This  was  after  the  Revolutionary  War,  and 
while  yet  only  fourteen  years  old,  she  was  married  to  Captain  McKillip,  a  British 
officer,  and  by  him  had  a  daughter  Margaret,  as  related  above,  who  afterwards  be- 
came the  wife  of  Lieutenant  Linai  T.  Helm  and  passed  through  a  most  terrifying 
experience  at  the  massacre  of  Fort  Dearborn. 

Captain  McKillip  was  killed  in  1794,  at  the  Miami  Rapids,  where  there  was  a 
post  afterwards  known  as  Fort  Defiance.  "A  detachment  of  British  troops,"  re- 
lates the  author  of  "Wau-Bun,"  "had  been  sent  down  from  Detroit,  to  take  posses- 
sion of  this  post.  General  Wayne  was  then  on  a  campaign  against  the  Indians,  and 
the  British  government  thought  proper  to  make  a  few  demonstrations  in  behalf  of 
their  allies,"  for  although  peace  had  been  declared  between  the  United  States  and 
Great  Britain,  the  British  chose  still  to  regard  the  Indian  tribes  as  their  allies,  a 
policy  that  brought  woe  and  disaster  to  all  parties  concerned.  "Having  gone  out 
with  a  party  to  reconnoitre,  Captain  McKillip  was  returning  to  his  post  after  dark, 
when  he  was  fired  upon  and  killed  by  one  of  his  own  sentinels."  During  her  widow- 
hood, Mrs.  McKillip  resided  at  Detroit,  where,  in  1800,  as  above  related,  she  was 
married  to  John  Kinzie,  who  seems  to  have  had  a  predilection  for  young  women 
who  had  been  Indian  captives. 

Their  oldest  child  was  John  Harris  Kinzie,  born  at  Sandwich,  Canada,  (near 
Detroit)  on  July  7th,  1803.  A  separate  account  will  be  given  of  him,  and  of  his 
talented  wife,  the  author  of  "Wau-Bun."  Their  other  children  were  Ellen  Marion, 
born  in  1805;  Maria  Indiana,  born  in  1807;  and  Robert  Allen,  born  in  1810;  the 
last  three  having  their  birthplace  in  the  Kinzie  mansion  at  Chicago.  Mr.  Kinzie, 
at  the  time  that  his  son  John  H.  was  born,  had  a  trading  house  on  the  St.  Joseph 
river,  and  there  the  young  boy  and  his  mother  were  taken,  and  remained  until  their 
removal  to  Chicago  in  1804,  where  they  took  up  their  residence  in  the  house  which 
had  been  bought  by  Mr.  Kinzie  from  Le  Mai.  "John  Kinzie  came  to  this  new  lo- 
cation," writes  Andreas,  "in  the  prime  of  his  life, — strong,  active  and  intelligent — 
his  life  sobered  by  experience,  but  his  heart  kindly  and  generous.  He  was  beloved 
by  the  Indians,  and  his  influence  over  them  was  very  great.  He  acquired  the  repu- 
tation of  being,  par  excellence,  'the  Indian's  Friend,'  and  through  the  most  fearful 
scenes  of  danger,  Shaw-nee-aw-kee,  the  Silverman,  and  his  family  moved  un- 
scathed." 

It  seems  necessary  here  to  correct  some  erroneous  statements  made  in  former 
histories,  that  Margaret  McKenzie  was  married  to  John  Kinzie,  but  there  is  the 
best  of  authority  for  saying  that  this  was  not  so.  Andreas  states  that  she  "became 
the  wife  of  John  Kinzie;"  and  Blanchard,  in  his  work,  says  that  they  were  married. 
Mrs.  Nelly  Kinzie  Gordon,  daughter  of  John  Harris  Kinzie,  is  now  living  at  Savan- 
nah, Georgia,  and  in  a  letter  to  the  author  of  this  history  written  December  3, 
1909,  she  says  that  her  grandfather,  John  Kinzie,  was  never  married  to  Margaret 
McKenzie.  She  refused  to  marry  him  "and  deserted  him,  carrying  her  three  chil- 
dren back  to  Virginia  with  her  father,  thus  breaking  up  his  home  and  robbing  John 
Kinzie  of  his  children.  Moreover,  she  distinctly  repudiated  him  and  all  legal  ties, 
as  far  as  he  was  concerned,  by  marrying 'a  man  named  Benjamin  Hall,  on  her  ar- 


62  CHICAGO:.  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

rival  in  Virginia."  No  claim  that  a  marriage  had  taken  place  was  "ever  made  by 
the  children  of  Margaret  McKenzie,  or  by  Margaret  herself."  Mrs.  Gordon  fur- 
ther says  that  the  only  one  of  these  children  she  ever  met  was  James  Kinzie,  and 
that  she  knew  him  well.  James  perfectly  well  knew  and  "accepted  his  status  as 
John  Kinzie's  natural  son."  When  he  "came  back  to  his  father  in  1816  after  the 
massacre  and  the  return  of  the  family  to  Chicago,  James  was  made  a  member  of 
the  family,  and  treated  with  such  unfailing  kindness  by  my  grandmother  (who 
knew  all  the  circumstances,  and  of  his  mother's  desertion),  that  he  became  much 
devoted  to  her,  and  named  his  second  daughter  after  her." 

THE    TRAGIC    ENCOUNTER    WITH     LALIME 

A  tragic  episode  in  John  Kinzie's  life  occurred  in  the  spring  of  1812.  Kinzie 
and  one  John  Lalime,  an  interpreter  at  the  fort,  were  at  feud  with  each  other;  and 
one  evening  about  sunset  when  the  fort  gates  were  being  closed,  Kinzie  passed  out 
and  walked  down  the  path  towards  the  river,  intending  to  cross  over  to  his  house 
on  the  other  side.  Lalime  followed  him  outside  the  gate,  and  an  officer  who  ob- 
served his  actions  called  out  a  warning  to  Kinzie,  telling  him  to  "look  out  for  La- 
lime."  ]  An  eye-witness  of  the  encounter  which  followed,  Mrs.  Victoire  Porthier, 
a  half  breed  woman  then  living  in  Ouilmette's  house,  relates  that  she  saw  the  two' 
men  grapple  with  each  other,  heard  a  pistol  go  off  and  then  the  men  fell  together. 
Directly  she  saw  Kinzie  get  up,  but  Lalime  remained  on  the  ground.  Kinzie  soon 
after  reached  his  house  streaming  with  blood  from  a  wound  in  his  shoulder,  caused 
by  a  shot  from  a  pistol  fired  by  Lalime.  Lalime  was  also  armed  with  a  knife  which 
he  carried  in  his  belt;  in  the  struggle  Kinzie  had  got  possession  of  the  knife,  and 
had  killed  his  adversary  with  his  own  weapon. 

Fearing  the  consequences  Kinzie  at  once  concealed  himself  in  the  woods,  and 
soon  after  was  taken  to  Milwaukee  by  a  Frenchman  named  Mirandeau,  the  father 
of  the  woman  whose  narrative  we  are  following.  Here  he  remained  until  his 
wound  was  healed ;  when,  having  learned  that  the  officers  at  the  fort  had  decided 
that  the  killing  of  Lalime  was  a  case  of  "justifiable  homicide,"  he  returned  to  Chi- 
cago. In  later  years  Mr.  Kinzie  never  alluded  to  or  spoke  of  this  episode.  "My 
impression  has  ever  been,"  said  Mr.  Gurdon  S.  Hubbard,  in  a  letter  to'  John  Went- 
worth,  written  in  1881,  "that  Mr.  Kinzie  acted,  as  he  told  his  wife,  in  self  defense. 
This  is  borne  out  by  the  fact  that,  after  a  full  investigation  by  the  officers,  whose 
friend  the  deceased  was,  they  acquitted  Mr.  Kinzie,  who  then  returned  to  his 
family."  ls 

KINZIE'S    WIDE     BUSINESS    RELATIONS 

Chicago's  early  history  is  intimately  connected  with  the  Kinzies  and  their  rel- 
atives. It  was  a  fortunate  circumstance  that  one  of  this  family,  the  wife  of  John 
Harris  Kinzie,— a  notice  of  whom  will  be  given  in  a  later  portion  of  this  work- 
should  have  given  to  the  world  her  recollections  of  the  "early  day"  of  the  North- 
west, a  volume  of  narratives  and  sketches,  under  the  title  of  "Wau-Bun,"  which 
has  become  a  classic  in  the  historical  literature  of  the  Middle  West.14 

12  Andreas:     "History  of  Chicago,"  I,   105. 

13Kirkland's  "Chicago  Massacre,"  p.  189. 

14  Introduction  to  Wau-Bun  (Caxton  Ed.),  p.  I3. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  63 

She  says  of  John  Kinzie,  her  husband's  father,  that  he  was  a  man  of  "an  enter- 
prising and  adventurous  disposition."  After  becoming  established  at  Chicago,  he 
extended  his  business  relations  until  they  covered  a  wide  range  of  territory.  Quot- 
ing further  from  Mrs.  Kinzie's  account,  she  says  that  "by  degrees  more  remote 
trading  posts  were  established  by  him,  all  contributing  to  the  parent  one  at  Chi- 
cago ;  at  Milwaukee  with  the  Menominees ;  at  Rock  River  with  the  Winnebagoes 
and  Pottawattomies ;  on  the  Illinois  River  and  Kankakee  with  the  Pottawattomies 
of  the  Prairies,  and  with  the  Kickapoos  in  what  was  called  'La  Large,'  being  the 
widely  extended  district  afterwards  erected  into  Sangamon  County. 

"Each  trading  post  had  its  superintendent,  and  its  complement  of  engages — its 
train  of  pack-horses  and  its  equipment  of  boats  and  canoes.  From  most  of  the  sta- 
tions the  fur  and  peltries  were  brought  to  Chicago  on  pack-horses,  and  the  goods 
necessary  for  the  trade  were  transported  in  return  by  the  same  method. 

"The  vessels  which  came  in  the  spring  and  fall  (seldom  more  than  two  or  three 
annually)  to  bring  the  supplies  and  goods  for  the  trade,  took  the  furs  that  were 
already  collected  to  Mackinac,  a  depot  of  the  Southwest  and  American  Fur  Com- 
panies. At  other  seasons  they  were  sent  to  tha,t  place  in  boats,  coasting  around 
the  lake."  15 

In  a  note  to  this  Mr.  R.  G.  Thwaites,  who  edited  the  Caxton  Club's  edition  of 
"Wau-Bun,"  from  which  the  above  is  quoted,  says:  "It  was  early  discovered  by 
the  French  traders  that  a  strong  current  encircles  Lake  Michigan,  going  south  along 
the  west  shore,  and  returning  northward  along  the  east  shore.  For  this  reason 
boats  usually  followed  the  Wisconsin  bank  up  [that  is,  going  towards  Chicago], 
and  the  Michigan  bank  down." 

THE    KINGSBURY    PAPERS 

A  collection  of  original  documents  and  letters  referring  to  affairs  at  Fort  Dear- 
born came  into  the  possession  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society  some  years  since. 
The  letters  in  this  collection,  called  the  Kingsbury  Papers,  bear  various  dates  from 
1804  to  1813,  and  are  described  in  the  society's  report  for  the  year  1906-7.  A 
few  of  them  are  printed  in  the  report,  from  which,  by  the  society's  permission,  we 
make  a  few  extracts.  It  is  understood  to  be  the  intention  of  the  society  to  publish 
the  Kingsbury  Papers  in  a  volume  at  as  early  a  date  as  practicable.  Its  appear- 
ance will  be  looked  forward  to  with  interest. 

One  of  the  letters  in  this  collection  was  written  by  Colonel  Jacob  Kingsbury, 
the  commandant  at  Detroit,  addressed  to  Captain  John  Whistler,  commanding  Fort 
Dearborn,  and  dated  July  12,  1804.  In  this  letter  he  says,  "I  am  informed  by 
Major  Pike  and  Doctor  Smith  that  your  men  are  almost  destitute  of  every  article 
of  clothing.  Immediately  on  the  report  being  made  to  me,  I  ordered  the  brig 
Adams  to  take  on  board  for  your  post  clothing  for  your  men,  pots  to  cook  in,  a 
whip  saw,  stationery,  hospital  stores,  etc.  I  shall,  with  the  greatest  cheerfulness, 
do  everything  in  my  power  to  make  your  situation  as  agreeable  as  possible.  I  think 
you  deserve  great  credit  for  the  work  you  have  done,  considering  you  had  no  cloth- 

15  Wau-Bun    (Caxton   Ed.),  p.  150. 


64  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

ing  for  your  men  nor  even  the  necessary  tools  to  work  with."  These  articles  arrived 
safely  at  the  fort  and  were  acknowledged  in  a  letter  dated  July  26,  written  by  Cap- 
tain Whistler  to  Colonel  Kingsbury,  thus  showing  that  the  voyage  between  the  two 
places  was  accomplished  within  two  weeks.  In  his  letter  of  acknowledgment  he 
writes:  "I  have  received  the  clothing  and  the  other  articles  you  mentioned.  The 
whip  saw  can  but  be  of  very  little  use  without  files,  as  the  timber  we  saw  is  oak; 
there  is  no  other  at  this  post." 

Later  in  the  same  year,  under  date  of  November  3,  Captain  Whistler  writes: 
"I  am  sorry  to  observe  that  I  have  been  under  the  disagreeable  necessity  of  arrest- 
ing Doctor  Smith.  I  wish  to  say  no  more  on  the  subject,"  he  adds,  "it  is  too  dis- 
agreeable." In  a  later  part  of  his  letter  he  refers  to  a  more  cheerful  matter,  as 
follows:  "I  have  the  happiness  of  informing  you  that  my  oldest  daughter  was  mar- 
ried on  the  first  instant  to  a  gentleman  of  my  old  acquaintance,  James  Abbott,  one 
whom  I  had  a  great  opinion  of."  The  daughter  referred  to  was  Sarah  Whistler, 
then  scarcely  eighteen  years  of  age.  "This  was  doubtless  the  first  wedding  be- 
tween white  persons  in  Chicago,  and  the  wedding  journey  was  made  overland  to 
Detroit  on  horseback,  the  bride  and  the  groom  tenting  in  the  woods  at  night."  16 

VOYAGEUHS    AT    CHICAGO 

The  little  settlement  about  Fort  Dearborn  was  often  enlivened  by  the  cheerful 
presence  of  voyageurs,  or  engages,  who  were  usually  French  Canadians  employed 
by  the  fur  traders  throughout  the  North  and  Northwest,  and  who  formed  a  distinct- 
ive class  of  their  own,  picturesque  and  attractive.  Their  nationality,  their  invigor- 
ating life  in  the  forest,  the  traditions  of  their  occupation,  all  combined  to  make 
them  sturdy,  resourceful,  happy,  alert.  They  were  devoted  to  their  "bourgeois," 
or  master,  and  were  well  content  to  endure  the  scantiness  of  diet  and  the  hardships 
which  they  often,  indeed  generally,  experienced.  They  were  engaged  for  service 
at  Montreal,  to  which  place  the  agents  supplying  trading  posts  with  voyageurs  went 
to  hire  them.  There  the  bargain  was  made,  by  which,  in  return  for  three  years' 
service,  the  engage  was  to  receive  annually  from  four  to  six  hundred  livres  in  old 
Quebec  currency  (a  livre  is  a  pound  sterling),  together  with  his  daily  ration  of  a 
quart  of  lyed  corn  and  two  ounces  of  tallow,  or  its  equivalent  in  whatever  food  could 
be  obtained  in  the  Indian  country.  With  this  fare,  the  voyageurs  willingly  served 
their  masters  without  a  complaint,  making  it  a  matter  of  the  greatest  care  to  live 
up  to  the  letter  of  their  agreement. 

The  engages  of  the  western  country  went  to  Mackinac,  the  main  trading  post 
of  that  region,  for  their  assignments.  There  they  received  a  part  of  their  wages  in 
advance  that  they  might  purchase  supplies  for  the  winter — tobacco  and  pipes,  needles 
and  thread,  bright  ribbons  for  trading  with  the  Indians;  and,  if  one  were  going  far 
to  the  north  where  he  could  not  obtain  such  things,  skins  to  make  moccasins. 

Among  the  voyageurs  there  was  a  caste  of  service,  depending  on  the  length  of 
time  spent  in  a  certain  region.  One  who  was  still  only  in  his  first  year  of  service 
was  called  a  "mangeur  de  lard,"  or  pork-eater;  and  for  a  more  experienced  voy- 
ageur  to  associate  with  such  a  one  or  accept  from  him  a  drink  of  beer  or  other  kind- 
ness would  be  ignoble  and  beneath  his  dignity. 

16  Report  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society  for  1906-7,  p.  116. 


By  courtesy  of  The  Little  Chronicle  Company  and  Chicago  Historical  Society 


A  FRENCH  YOYAGEUR 

Drawing  by  Frederic  Remington. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  65 

It  is  interesting  here  to  quote  from  "Wau-Bun"  a  little  story: 

"Another  peculiarity  of  the  voyageurs  is  their  fancy  for  transforming  the  names 
of  their  bourgeois  into  something  funny  which  resembles  it  in  sound.  Thus,  Kinzie 
would  be  called  by  one  'Quinze  ties'  (fifteen  noses),  by  another  'Singe'  (monkey- 
fied).  Mr.  Kercheval  was  denominated  'Mons.  Court-Cheval'  (short  horse),  and  the 
Judge  of  Probate,  'le  Juge  Trop-bete'  (too  foolish),  etc.  The  following  is  an  in- 
stance in  point. 

"Mr.  Shaw,  one  of  the  agents  of  the  Northwest  Fur  Company,  had  passed 
many  years  on  the  frontier,  and  was  by  the  voyageurs  called  Monsieur  le  Chat  (Mr. 
Cat).  On  quitting  the  Indian  territory  he  married  a  Canadian  lady  and  became 
the  father  of  several  children.  Some  years  after  his  return  to  Canada  his  old  fore- 
man, named  Louis  la  Liberte,  went  to  Montreal  to  spend  the  winter.  He  had  heard 
of  his  old  bourgeois'  marriage,  and  was  anxious  to  see  him. 

"Mr.  Shaw  was  walking  in  the  Champ  de  Mars  with  a  couple  of  officers,  when 
La  Liberte  espied  him.  He  immediately  ran  up,  and,  seizing  him  by  both  hands, 
accosted  him, — 

"'Ah!  man  cher  Monsieur  le  Chat;  comment  vous  portezvous?'  (My  dear  Mr. 
Cat,  how  do  you  do?)  'Tres  bien,  Louison.'  'Et  comment  se  porte  Madame  la 
Chatte?'  (How  is  the  mother  cat?)  'Bien,  bien,  Louizon;  elle  est  ires  bien.'  (She 
is  very  well.)  'Et  tous  les  petits  Chatons?'  (And  all  the  kittens?) 

"This  was  too  much  for  Mr.  Shaw.  He  answered  shortly  that  the  kittens  were  all 
well,  and  turned  away  with  his  military  friends,  leaving  poor  Louizon  quite  as- 
tonished at  the  abruptness  of  his  departure."  17 

SUMMARY    OF    EVENTS    AND    CONDITIONS,    TO     1812 

A  review  of  the  important  dates  up  to  this  point  in  our  history  will  be  given 
here,  thus  enabling  the  reader  to  understand  more  clearly  the  events  on  which  they 
depend.  From  the  period  of  its  discovery  in  1673,  the  entire  valley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi had  been  in  possession  of  the  French.  After  the  war  between  Great  Britain 
and  France,  terminated  by  the  Peace  of  Paris,  concluded  February  10,  1763,  that 
part  of  the  western  country  east  of  the  Mississippi  passed  into  the  possession  of  the 
English.  During  the  progress  of  the  Revolutionary  War  the  state  of  Virginia  as- 
sumed jurisdiction  over  the  Illinois  Country,18  and  its  legislature  passed  an  act 
December  9,  1778,  to  establish  the  "County  of  Illinois."  The  British  relinquished 
their  claims  to  the  country  at  the  time  the  treaty  of  peace  was  signed,  September 
3,  1783,  since  which  time  it  has  been  in  the  undisputed  possession  of  the  United 
States. 

The  state  of  Virginia  still  regarded  the  Illinois  Country  as  within  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  her  state  government,19  but  finally  ceded  her  western  lands  to  the  general 
government,  March  1,  1784.  The  ordinance  of  1787,  creating  the  Northwest  Ter- 
ritory, was  passed  on  the  13th  of  July  of  the  year  named.  St.  Clair  county,  the 
first  county  to  be  formed  within  the  present  limits  of  the  state  of  Illinois,  was  or- 

17  Wau-Bun    (C),   156. 

I8S1oane's  "French  War,"  p.   in. 

10  Boggess'  "Settlement  of  Illinois,"  p.  45. 

Vol.  1—5 


66  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

ganized  April  27,  1790,20  and  on  June  20th  of  the  same  year,  another  county  was 
laid  off  and  named  after  General  Henry  Knox  of  Revolutionary  fame.-1  Knox 
County  included  what  is  now  Chicago,  the  boundaries  of  St.  Clair  County  not  hav- 
ing extended  so  far  to  the  eastward.  Thus  Chicago  at  this  early  stage  of  its  ex- 
istence had  its  first  experience  under  county  government  at  that  time,  though  its 
one  lone  trader,  the  negro  Point  De  Saible,  was  probably  not  even  aware  that  there 
was  such  a  political  division  as  Knox  County  in  the  territory  of  which  he  was  an 
inhabitant.  Chicago  continued  within  the  limits  of  Knox  County  until  the  bound- 
aries of  St.  Clair  County  were  changed  in  1801,  so  as  to  include  almost  the  en- 
tire area  of  the  present  state  of  Illinois,  including  its  northern  part. 

Indiana  Territory  was  formed  July  4,  1800,  and  the  area  comprised  within  the 
present  state  of  Illinois  was  a  part  of  that  territory.  The  capital  of  the  territory 
was  at  Vincennes,  and  the  difficulty  of  reaching  it  from  the  western  settlements  on 
the  Mississippi  was  so  great  that  the  people  became  much  dissatisfied  and  petitioned 
congress  for  a  division  of  the  territory. 

EMIGRATION    TOWARD    THE    WEST 

Meantime  emigration  coming  mostly  from  Virginia,  Maryland  and  the  Caro- 
linas,  was  active  towards  the  western  settlements  of  Illinois,  that  is,  the  region  of 
which  Kaskaskia  was  the  center,  also  called  the  "American  Bottom."  22  The  north- 
ern portion  of  the  territory  was  still  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness,  the  lead  min- 
ing region  near  Galena,  and  Fort  Dearborn,  with  its  garrison  and  its  few  traders, 
being  the  only  points  in  that  vast  region  occupied  by  whites. 

But  the  emigration  flowing  into  the  Illinois  Country  did  not  compare  in  volume 
with  that  into  Kentucky,  which  had  been  already  admitted  as  a  state  in  1792,  or 
into  Ohio,  admitted  in  1803,  or  into  that  portion  of  Indiana  Territory  now  within 
the  area  of  the  state  of  Indiana.  The  census  reports  of  the  United  States  give 
the  following  statistics  of  population:23 

1790        1800        1810 

Kentucky,  73,677  220,955  406,511 

Ohio,  45,365  230,760 

Indiana,  2,517  24,520 

Illinois,  2,458  12,282 

These  figures  show  that  the  Illinois  Country  was  making  comparatively  slow 
progress  in  its  increase  of  population  as  compared,  for  instance,  with  that  of  In- 
diana; though  its  percentage  of  increase  was  greater  than  that  of  Kentucky  or  of 
Ohio. 

Those  who  settled  in  the  Illinois  Country  at  this  period  came  through  many 
dangers,  for  Indians  were  unfriendly  and  malaria  prevailed  in  the  lowlands.  The 
journey  made  by  the  emigrants  "was  tedious  and  difficult,"  says  Boggess  in  his 
"Settlement  of  Illinois."  "It  was  often  rendered  dangerous  by  precipitous  and 

20  Rose's  "Counties  of  Illinois,"  p.  4. 

21  Rose's  "Counties  of  Illinois,"  p.  16. 

22  Reynolds'  "Pioneer  History  of  Illinois,"  p.   113. 

23  Boggess'  "Settlement  of  Illinois,"  p.  91. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  67 

rough  hills  and  swollen  streams,  if  the  journey  was  overland;  or  by  snags,,  shoals 
and  rapids  if  by  water."  The  inability  of  the  newly  arrived  settlers  to  secure  a 
title  to  land,  "the  unsettled  condition  of  the  slavery  question,  the  great  distance 
from  the  older  portions  of  the  United  States  and  from  any  market,  the  fact  that 
Kentucky,  Ohio  and  Indiana  had  vast  quantities  of  unoccupied  land  more  accessi- 
ble to  emigrants  than  'was  Illinois,  the  danger  and  cost  of  moving,  and  the  priva- 
tion incident  to  a  scanty  population,  such  as  lack  of  roads,  schools,  churches  and 
mills,"  were  some  of  the  obstacles  to  emigration. 

The  prairies  of  the  Illinois  Country,  which  had  been  regarded  by  the  discover- 
ers and  explorers  as  among  the  chief  glories  of  the  new  territory  opened  to  view,24 
and  in  later  .times  as  forming  its  greatest  natural  advantages,  were  looked  upon  by 
some  of  our  public  men  of  that  time  as  a  positive  drawback  to  the  future  prosperity 
of  the  region.  In  1786,  Monroe  wrote  to  Jefferson  regarding  the  vast  region  which 
afterwards  formed  the  Northwest  Territory.  "A  great  part  of  the  territory  is  mis- 
erably poor,  especially  that  near  Lakes  Michigan  and  Erie,  and  that  upon  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  the  Illinois  consists  of  extensive  plains  which  have  not  had,  and  from 
appearances  will  not  have,  a  single  bush  on  them  for  ages.  The  districts,  there- 
fore, within  which  these  fall  will  never  contain  a  sufficient  number  of  inhabitants 
to  entitle  them  to  membership  in  the  confederacy." 

ILLINOIS    TERRITORY    ESTABLISHED 

The  petitions  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  settlements  in  the  Illinois  Country  for 
a  separation  from  the  remainder  of  Indiana  Territory  continued  to  pour  in  at  Wash- 
ington. In  one  of  the  reports  by  a  committee  of  Congress  made  in  1808,  it  was 
estimated  that  the  number  of  inhabitants  of  Indiana  east  of  the  Wabash  was  seven- 
teen thousand,  and  the  number  west  of  the  Wabash  was  eleven  thousand.  These 
estimates  were  proved  to  be  very  nearly  correct,  as  the  census  for  1810  shows.  The 
bill  providing  for  the  division  of  the  territory,  so  ardently  desired  by  the  people 
of  Illinois,  was  approved  on  February  3,  1809,  and  Illinois  Territory  entered  upon 
a  separate  existence.  The  boundaries  of  the  new  territory,  established  by  the  act, 
were  the  same  as  those  of  the  state  at  present,  except  that  the  territory  extended 
north  to  the  northern  limits  of  the  United  States,  thus  including  within  its  bound- 
aries what  is  now  the  state  of  Wisconsin.  Ninian  Edwards,  then  a  man  thirty- four 
years  of  age  and  the  chief  justice  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  in  Kentucky,  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Madison  the  first  Territorial  Governor  of  Illinois;  and  he 
continued  as  such  until  Illinois  was  admitted  as  a  state  into  the  Union  in  1818. 

CHICAGO  FROM  1803  TO  1812 

During  the  nine  years  from  1803  to  1812,  the  period  this  chapter  is  designed  to 
cover,  the  activities  of  the  Chicago  settlement  were  principally  those  engaged  in  by 
the  garrison  of  the  fort  in  the  performance  of  their  regular  military  duty,  fur 
trading  with  the  Indians  by  the  civilian  traders  and  government  factors,  and  the 
distribution  by  the  regular  government  Indian  agents  of  annuities,  provided  for  un- 

24  "Jesuit  Relations,"  Vol.  59,  p.   161. 


68  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

der  the  treaties  with  the  different  tribes  who  resorted  to  this  point.  The  govern- 
ment in  its  desire  to  do  the  Indians  a  kindness  established  "factories,"  or  trading 
houses,  to  furnish  goods  to  the  Indians  and  take  their  furs  in  exchange,  on  a  plan 
by  which  all  the  gain  in  prices  should  be  for  their  benefit;  but  in  carrying  out  this 
benevolent  purpose  it  encountered  the  competition  or  opposition  of  the  private 
traders.  Whether  or  not  the  government  officials  lacked  perseverance  or  force  to 
command  success  in  this  policy,  in  the  end  the  consequences  were  disastrous  to  the 
Indians.25  The  traders  excited  the  Indians  against  the  factories,  sold  them  liquor 
secretly,  and,  as  it  was  considered  illegal  to  accept  Indian  testimony  concerning  these 
illicit  transactions,  it  was  impossible  to  bring  the  traders  to  account.  The  difficul- 
ties encountered  in  the  practical  working  of  the  "factory  system,"  as  it  was  called, 
reached  an  acute  stage  some  years  later,  which  will  be  mentioned  in  its  proper  place 
in  this  history. 

We  are  now  approaching  the  period  of  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain,  the 
War  of  1812,  or,  as  it  has  been  called,  "The  Second  War  of  Independence."  We 
have  seen  in  the  previous  chapter  how  in  the  Revolutionary  War  the  feeble  lamp 
of  civilization,  burning  at  this  remote  spot,  was  summarily  snuffed  out  by  the  car- 
rying off  of  the  negro  Point  de  Saible,  the  sole  inhabitant  of  the  place,  as  a  prisoner 
to  Mackinac;  while  a  bloody  action,  the  battle  of  South  Chicago,  took  place  on 
ground  now  included  within  the  limits  of  the  city.  Chicago  had  already  suffered 
several  eclipses  in  the  past,  and  was  destined  to  suffer  another  before  its  continu- 
ous existence  was  assured. 

SOME    CAUSES    LEADING    TO    WAR    OF     1812 

The  echoes  of  the  Napoleonic  wars  then  raging  in  Europe  were  heard  in  this 
far  away  frontier  region.  The  "Orders  in  Council"  issued  by  Great  Britain  were 
designed  to  cripple  its  French  antagonist.  These  were  answered  by  Napoleon's  De- 
crees of  Berlin  and  Milan,  and  the  effects  of  these  orders  and  decrees  worked  se- 
vere hardship  on  American  commerce.  "The  insolence  of  the  powerful  belligerents 
toward  the  young  republic  of  the  United  States  was  hard  to  endure,"  26  and  it  was 
foreseen  that  there  was  no  escape  from  war.  "The  conduct  of  the  French  govern- 
ment toward  the  United  States  was  more  insulting,  if  possible,  and  more  injurious, 
than  that  of  Great  Britain,"  says  Larned;  but  the  American  people,  still  suffering 
from  the  old  anger  inherited  from  the  Revolutionary  strife,  directed  their  resent- 
ment more  particularly  against  England.  The  Indian  outbreaks  on  the  western 
frontiers  were  confidently  attributed  to  the  influence  of  British  emissaries,  and  the 
people  of  the  West  became  especially  clamorous  for  war.27  Among  the  leading 
causes  of  war  mentioned  by  President  Madison  in  his  message  to  Congress  were 
"the  attacks  of  the  savages  incited  by  British  traders."  28 

Added  to  all  this  were  some  real  and  fancied  grievances,  suffered  by  the  Indians 
from  the  American  government  and  the  settlers,  which  entered  into  the  already  com- 
plicated state  of  affairs.  Tecumseh  and  his  brother,  "the  Prophet,"  contended  that 

25  Hut-lout's  "Chicago  Antiquities,"  p.  201. 

26  Larned's  "Seventy  Centuries,"  Vol.  II,  p.  356. 

27  Patton  &  Lord's  "History  of  the  United  States,"  Vol.  II,  p.  623. 

28  James'  "American  History,"  p.  260. 


By  permission  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 

HOUSE  OF  JOHN  KINZIE 

On  the  north  side  of  the  river,  opposite  Fort 
Dearborn.  Its  location  was  at  the  foot  of  Pine 
street. 


By  permission  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 


CHICAGO  AS  IT  APPEARED  IX  1804 
Fort  Dearborn  on  the  left.    John  Kinzie's  house  on  the  right. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  69 

Indian  lands  could  not  be  sold  without  the  unanimous  consent  of  all  the  tribes,  es- 
pecially referring  to  the  Treaty  of  Fort  Wayne  in  1809,  to  which  they  were  not 
parties;  and  that  the  Great  Spirit  had  created  this  continent  exclusively  for  the 
use  of  the  Indians,  .  .  .  that  no  part  of  it  was  given  to  any  tribe,  but  that  the 
whole  was  the  common  property  of  all  the  tribes."  -rt  This  proposition,  said  Gen- 
eral Harrison  in  his  report  to  the  territorial  legislature  of  Indiana,  was  so  extremely 
absurd  that  it  would  forever  prevent  any  further  purchase  of  lands  from  the  In- 
dians. "Again  there  was  the  difficulty,"  says  Winsor,  "of  controlling  the  recklessness 
of  the  irresponsible  'squatter,'  and  the  wild  bushranger's  provocation  of  the  In- 
dian." 3I>  Settlers,  indeed,  showed  scant  consideration  for  Indian  rights  of  ancient 
domain  in  the  territory  which  they  wished  to  occupy.  Neither  was  it  likely  that  ab- 
solute equity  in  the  distribution  of  goods  and  payments  of  money  to  the  Indians  was 
exercised;  in  the  nature  of  the  case  it  was  not  always  possible  to  be  just  in  these 
matters,  even  if  there  had  been  no  dishonesty  on  the  part  of  the  government 
agents. 

Warnings  of  trouble  began  to  appear.  Matthew  Irwin,  Jr.,  United  States  Fac- 
tor at  Chicago  from  1810  to  1812,  writing  to  the  Secretary  of  War  under  date  of 
May  13,  1811,  says:  "An  assemblage  of  the  Indians  is  to  take  place  on  a  branch 
of  the  Illinois,  by  the  influence  of  the  Prophet.  The  result  will  be  hostile  in  the 
event  of  war  with  Great  Britain,"  The  Prophet,  the  brother  of  Tecumseh,  was 
later  in  the  same  year  severely  defeated  by  General  William  Henry  Harrison  at 
Tippecanoe.  There  was  usually  a  "prophet"  in  the  case  when  a  general  Indian  dis- 
turbance was  on  hand,  just  as  in  the  wars  of  the  English  with  Soudan  tribes  in  re- 
cent years,  a  Mahdi,  another  name  for  prophet,  was  always  to  be  found  as  the 
inciting  cause  of  trouble.  LoAune, 

A  few  days  after  Irwin's  letter  of  warning,  one  Sfoty^nje,  an  Indian  interpreter 
at  Chicago,  writes :  "Several  horses  have  been  stolen.  The  Indians  in  this  quarter 
are  inclined  to  hostility."  Another  report  was  that  "the  Indians  on  the  Illinois 
were  hostile  towards  the  United  States,  and  that  war  between  the  Indians  and  the 
white  people  had  just  commenced."  This  was  an  allusion  to  the  battle  of  Tippe- 
canoe which  had  recently  been  fought.31 

FURTHER    SIGNS    OF    WAR 

"The  Battle  of  Tippecanoe  was  but  the  precursor  of  more  important  events, 
and  only  preceded  the  war  with  Great  Britain,  which  it  had  been  long  foreseen  must 
soon  burst  upon  the  country,  as  the  shadow  precedes  the  substance.  If  anything 
were  required  to  inflame  the  country  to  a  still  higher  pitch  of  exasperation  than  had 
been  produced  by  the  well-known  efforts  of  British  agents  to  incense  the  Indians 
against  the  United  States,  and  their  positive  encouragement  to  repeated  outrages, 
and  the  insolent  aggressions  of  the  British  government  on  our  commerce,  it  was 
found  in  this  battle.  It  was,  indeed,  the  beginning  of  the  war.  There  was  little 
doubt  that  the  Indians  had  previously  received  assurances  of  aid  from  Great  Brit- 
ain in  case  of  hostilities,  and  they  immediately  began  to  threaten  all  the  American 

29  Montgomery's  "Life  of  William  Henry  Harrison,"  p.  80. 

30  Winsor's  "Westward  Movement,"  p.  306. 

31  Fergus'  Historical  Series,  No.  16,  p.  50. 


70  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

border-population  in  the  Michigan,  Indiana  and  Illinois  Territories,  as  well  as  the 
north-western  confines  of  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  and  Ohio.  The  whole  of  the 
western  frontier  was  thrown  into  a  state  of  alarm,  and  many  of  the  inhabitants  re- 
moved to  the  older  settlements  for  safety."  32 

The  war  sentiment,  however,  was  by  no  means  unanimous.  John  Randolph  of 
Virginia,  in  defending  himself  and  others  of  his  way  of  thinking,  indignantly  re- 
pelled the  charge  of  British  attachment  made  against  those  who  were  not  willing 
to  rush  into  war  with  England.  "Strange,"  said  he,  "that  we  have  no  objection 
to  any  other  people  or  government,  civilized  or  savage ;  we  find  no  difficulty  in 
maintaining  relations  of  peace  and  amity  with  the  Autocrat  of  all  the  Russias;  with 
the  Dey  of  Algiers  and  his  divan  of  pirates,  or  Little  Turtle  of  the  Miamis,  bar- 
barians and  savages,  Turks  and  infidels  of  every  clime  and  color,  with  them  we  can 
trade  and  treat.  But  name  England,  and  all  our  antipathies  are  up  in  arms  against 
her;  against  those  whose  blood  runs  in  our  veins,  in  common  with  whom  we 
claim  Shakespeare  and  Milton,  Newton  and  Locke,  Sidney  and  Chatham,  as  breth- 
ren. Her  form  of  government  [is]  the  freest  on  earth,  except  our  own, 
from  which  every  valuable  principle  of  our  institutions  had  been  borrowed."  33 

CAPTAIN    HEALD    AT    FORT    DEARBORN:    HIS    MARRIAGE 

During  the  summer  of  1810,  Captain  John  Whistler  was  relieved  of  the  com- 
mand at  Fort  Dearborn,  and  was  succeeded  by  Captain  Nathan  Heald.  About  the 
time  of  his  arrival  Heald  wrote  to  Colonel  Jacob  Kingsbury,  commander  at  De- 
troit, under  date  of  June  8,  1810,  that  he  was  not  pleased  with  his  new  situation 
and  could  not  bear  to  think  of  staying  there  during  the  winter.  He  further  says 
that  "it  is  a  good  place  for  a  man  who  has  a  family  and  can  content  himself  to 
live  remote  from  the  civilized  part  of  the  world."  34  Captain  Heald  was  a  much 
younger  man  than  his  predecessor,  being  thirty-five  years  old  when  he  took  com- 
mand at  Fort  Dearborn,  "and  could  not  be  supposed,"  says  John  Wentworth  in 
an  address  made  in  1881,  "to  have  had  that  acquaintance  with  the  characteristics 
of  the  Indians  which  Whistler  had." 

Notwithstanding  Captain  Heald's  reluctance  to  continue  in  his  present  situation, 
no  change  was  made.  In  the  summer  of  1811,  however,  he  obtained  leave  of  absence 
and  went  to  Louisville,  Kentucky  to  be  married  to  Rebekah  Wells,  a  daughter  of 
Captain  Samuel  Wells,35  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe.36  Captain 
William  Wells  was  a  younger  brother  of  Samuel  and  hence  the  uncle  of  Mrs.  Re- 
bekah Heald.  Captain  William  Wells'  intimate  connection  with  the  tragic  events 
soon  to  be  related  renders  this  an  important  detail  of  the  narrative.  Two  years 
previous  to  the  marriage  of  Captain  Heald  and  Rebekah  Wells,  Captain  William 
Wells  had  taken  his  niece,  Rebekah,  on  a  visit  to  Fort  Wayne,  where  Captain 
Heald  was  then  on  duty ;  the  marriage  was  doubtless  the  result  of  the  acquaintance 
formed  on  that  occasion. 

After  the   wedding  at   Louisville,   Captain    Heald   and   his   wife   started   north 

32  Montgomery's  "Life  of  William  Henry  Harrison,"  p.  105. 

33  Fatten  &  Lord's  "History  of  the  United  States,"  Vol.  II,  p.  624. 

34  Report  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society  for  1906-7,  p.  117. 
30Kirkland's  "Chicago  Massacre,"  p.  69. 

86  Fergus'  Historical  Series,  No.  16,  p.  21. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  71 

on  horseback  for  Fort  Dearborn.  There  were  four  horses,  one  each  for  the  bride 
and  groom,  one  for  a  little  slave  girl  who  begged  to  be  taken  along,  and  one  for 
the  baggage.  They  travelled  by  compass,  making  the  entire  journey  in  six  days, 
and  on  their  arrival  the  garrison  of  the  fort  turned  out  to  receive  them  with  mili- 
tary honors.  Rebekah  was  much  pleased  with  her  reception  and  found  everything 
to  her  liking.  She  liked  the  wild  place,  the  wild  lake  and  the  wild  Indians,  then 
indeed  friendly  enough,  but  soon  to  become  fierce  enemies.  Everything  suited  her 
ways  and  disposition,  "being  on  the  wild  order"  herself,  she  said;  37  and  we  can  well 
imagine  Captain  Heald's  becoming,  in  his  changed  circumstances,  quite  reconciled 
to  the  situation  with  which  he  was  so  much  displeased  the  year  before. 

CAPTAIN     WILLIAM     WELLS 

Captain  William  Wells,  one  of  the  romantic  figures  of  the  time,  was  born  in 
Kentucky,  about  1770.  He  was  a  brother  of  Samuel  Wells,  whose  daughter  Re- 
bekah married  Captain  Nathan  Heald,  as  previously  related.  When  twelve  years 
old,  William  was  captured  by  the  Miami  Indians,  whose  chief,  Little  Turtle, 
adopted  him,  and  gave  him  his  daughter  38  in  marriage  when  he  grew  to  man- 
hood. William  was  highly  regarded  by  the  Indians  with  whom  he  lived,  and 
fought  with  them  against  the  whites  in  the  campaigns  of  1790  and  1791,  when  the 
Americans  under  Generals  Harnier  and  St.  Clair  were  defeated.  When  Rebekah 
Wells  was  a  girl  she  remembers  how  the  Wells  family,  having  learned  of  William's 
presence  among  the  the  Indians,  tried  to  get  him  back.  "We  all  wanted  Uncle 
William,  whom  we  called  our  'Indian  uncle,'  "  related  Rebekah  Wells,  his  niece, 
in  later  years,  "to  leave  the  Indians  who  had  stolen  him  in  his  boyhood,  and  come 
home  and  belong  to  his  white  relations.  He  hung  back  for  years,  and  even  at  last, 
when  he  agreed  to  visit  them,  made  the  proviso  that  he  should  be  allowed  to  bring 
along  an  Indian  escort  with  him,  so  that  he  should  not  be  compelled  to  stay  with 
them  if  he  did  not  want  to."  39 

He  arrived  with  his  band  of  Indians,  and  after  seeing  his  old  haunts  and  meeting 
his  relatives,  he  became  convinced  that  he  ought  to  remain  with  them,  though  he 
returned  to  his  Indian  friends  for  a  time.  Some  time  later  he  told  his  father-in-law, 
Little  Turtle,  that  though  he  had  fought  for  his  Indian  friends  in  the  past,  the  time 
had  now  come  when  he  was  going  home  to  his  relatives  and  hereafter  fight  for 
his  own  flesh  and  blood.  The  Indians  permitted  him  to  depart,  and  he  soon  after 
joined  General  Wayne's  army,  where  he  was  made  captain  of  a  company  of  scouts, 
doing  good  service  at  the  battle  of  Fallen  Timbers  in  1794.  "After  that  campaign 
he  was  joined  by  his  Indian  wife  and  his  children,"  writes  Roosevelt;  "the  latter 
grew  up  and  married  well  in  the  community,  so  that  their  blood  now  flows  in  the 
veins  of  many  of  the  descendants  of  the  old  pioneers."  Roosevelt,  in  the  work 
we  have  referred  to,  was  evidently  much  attracted  by  this  picturesque  hero,  and 
relates  some  of  his  thrilling  adventures,  among  others  this  one: 

37  Kirkland's  "Chicago  Massacre,"  p.  70. 

38  Roosevelt,   in  his  "Winning  of  the  West,"   says   it  was   a  sister  of  Little   Turtle   whom 
Wells  married.     ("Winning  of  the  West,"  Vol.  IV,  p.  79).     All  the  other  authorities,  however, 
say  it  was  a  daughter. 

3tl  Kirkland's  "Chicago  Massacre,"  p.  174. 


72  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

"On  one  of  Well's  scouts,  he  and  his  companions  came  across  a  family  of  Indians 
in  a  canoe  by  the  river  bank.  The  white  wood  rangers  were  as  ruthless  as  their 
red  foes,  sparing  neither  sex  nor  age ;  and  the  scouts  were  cocking  their  rifles  when 
Wells  recognized  the  Indians  as  being  the  family  into  which  he  had  been  adopted, 
and  by  which  he  had  been  treated  as  a  son  and  brother.  Springing  forward  he 
swore  immediate  death  to  the  first  man  who  fired ;  and  then  told  his  companions  who 
the  Indians  were.  The  scouts  at  once  dropped  their  weapons,  shook  hands  with 
the  Miamis,  and  sent  them  off  unharmed." 

After  the  peace  which  followed  the  campaign  of  General  Wayne,  Captain  Wells 
settled  on  a  farm,  and  was  later  made  a  justice  of  the  peace  and  an  Indian  agent 
at  Fort  Wayne.  He  accompanied  his  father-in-law,  Little  Turtle,  to  >KsoWU»j$Qij. 
in  1797,  and  together  they  visited  many  eastern  cities.40  His  correspondence,  pre- 
served in  the  "American  State  Papers,"  shows  that  he  was  a  man  of  fair  education 
for  those  times.  A  portion  of  a  letter  written  by  one  of  his  descendants  is  printed 
in  the  Fergus  Historical  series,  No.  16,  which  is  as  follows:  "We  are  proud  of 
our  Indian  (Little  Turtle)  blood,  and  of  our  Captain  Wells  blood.  We  try  to 
keep  up  the  customs  of  our  ancestors,  and  dress  occasionally  in  Indian  costumes. 
We  take  no  exceptions  when  people  speak  of  our  Indian  parentage.  We  take 
pleasure  in  sending  to  you  the  tomahawk  which  Captain  William  Wells  had  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  and  which  was  brought  to  his  family  by  an  Indian  who  was  in 
the  battle.  We  also  have  a  dress-sword,  which  was  presented  to  him  by  General 
William  Henry  Harrison,  and  a  great  many  books  which  he  had ;  showing  that, 
even  when  he  lived  among  the  Indians,  he  was  trying  to  improve  himself.  He 
did  all  he  could  to  educate  his  children."  John  Wentworth  says  that  all  of 
Captain  Wells'  children  were  well  educated ;  one  of  them,  William  Wayne  WTells, 
graduated  at  West  Point  in  1821. 

Of  Little  Turtle  it  may  be  said,  in  passing,  he  was  at  enmity  with  the  whites 
at  the  time  of  St.  Clair's  defeat  in  1791 — in  fact  he  led  the  victorious  tribes  in 
the  battle, — but  after  General  Wayne's  campaign  he  became  the  fast  friend  of  the 
Americans.41  Little  Turtle  was  frequently  at  Chicago,  but  lived  near  Fort  Wayne, 
where  he  died  July  14,  1812. 

Captain  Wells  often  visited  Chicago  during  this  period.42  His  story  is  not 
yet  finished,  we  shall  meet  with  him  in  the  course  of  the  stirring  events  to  be  re- 
lated in  the  succeeding  chapter  of  this  history. 

THE  INDIAN  ATTACK  ON  HARDSCRABBLE 

In  1812  there  was  a  piece  of  land  under  cultivation  some  four  miles  from  the 
fort  up  the  South  Branch,  owned  by  a  man  named  Lee,  and  hence  called  Lee's 
Place;  the  place  was  also  known  as  Hardscrabble.  The  precise  location  of  this 
farm  was  at  the  west  side  of  the  south  fork  of  the  South  Branch,  about  where  the 
old  canal  takes  its  start  towards  the  southwest,  known  in  canal  days  as  Bridgeport. 

The  name  of  Hardscrabble  has  always  been  a  favorite  one  among  pioneers  to  de- 
note a  place  in  which  conditions  of  existence  were  hard  and  difficult.  A  place  of  that 

40  Fergus'  Hist.  Series.  No.  16,  p.  45. 

41  Hurlbut's  "Chicago  Antiquities,"  p.  129. 

42  Hurlbut's  "Chicago  Antiquities,"  p.  648. 


Reproduced  by  Kirkland  from  "Cyclopaedia  of  United  States  History" 

BLACK  PARTRIDGE  MEDAL 

Tins  medal  was  given  to  Black  Partridge  at  the  time  of 
the  treaty  of  Greenville  (1795)  for  service  rendered  the 
government.  Before  entering  upon  war  with  the  inhabitants 
of  Fort  Dearborn,  Black  Partridge  came  to  Captain  Heald 
to  give  back  this  medal  which  was  a  token  of  friendship. 


From  Fergus,  Number  1  6 

SIGNATURE  OF  NATHAN  HEALD,  CAPTAIN 

AT   FORT  DEARBORN  AT  THE   TIME 

OF  THE  MASSACRE 


From  Fergus,  Number  1  6 


(MRS.  CAPTAIN  HEALD) 


From  Fertfus,  Number  1  6 


Rebekah  Heald  was  one  of  those  who  es-         Captain  Wells  was  killed  at  the  massacre 
caped  from  the   massacre.  of  Fort  Dearborn. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  73 

name  was  situated  near  Lewiston,  New  York,  on  the  Niagara  river,  about  the  same 
period,  and  is  mentioned  in  military  dispatches  during  the  ensuing  war  of  1812;  43 
and  in  the  state  of  Illinois  the  town  of  Streator  was  thus  colloquially  known  during 
its  earlier  'history.44 

It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  the  locality,  known  in  early  days  as  "Hard- 
scrabble,"  should  in  these  later  days  be  looked  upon  by  the  promoters  of  the  "Chi- 
cago Plan"  as  the  appropriate  place  where  the  "civic  center"  should  be  established. 
As  late  as  the  sixties,  we  are  told  by  Mr.  Frederick  F.  Cook,  in  "Bygone  Days," 
all  that  tract  of  country  bordering  upon  the  west  bank  of  the  South  Branch,  any- 
where from  Twelfth  to  Twenty-Second  streets,  and  extending  as  far  west  as  Ogden 
Avenue,  was  often  referred  to  as  Hardscrabble,  so  called  from  the  original  farm 
of  that  name,  a  name  by  which  it  was  known  before  the  abandonment  and  destruc- 
tion of  the  first  Fort  Dearborn.  As  a  matter  of  fact  while  thus  described  in  gen- 
eral terms  by  Cook  the  region  known  as  Hardscrabble  certainly  included  the  ter- 
ritory farther  south  along  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  and  even  extended  over  to 
the  east  bank.  The  farm  house,  it  is  stated  by  Mrs.  Kinzie  in  "Wau-Bun,"  "stood 
on  the  western  bank  of  the  South  Branch,"  while  the  farm  itself  was  "intersected 
by  the  Chicago  river  about  four  miles  from  its  mouth."  Its  location  was  further 
described  by  Moses  and  Kirkland  in  their  history  as  "near  the  forks,"  that  is 
where  the  west  fork  of  the  South  Branch  flows  into  the  latter. 

In  describing  any  place  in  that  vicinity  people  of  the  early  day  often  said  "out 
Hardscrabble  way,"  just  as  in  later  years  they  referred  to  the  region  in  the  same 
vicinity  as  "out  Bridgeport  way."  Thus  Hardscrabble,  which  in  its  primeval  state 
was  a  wind  swept  plain,  presenting  to  the  view  only  a  barren  and  monotonous  land- 
scape, and  which  in  succeeding  years  was  laid  out  into  an  extensive  network  of 
streets  built  up  with  a  cheap  class  of  structures,  covered  in  great  part  with  lum- 
ber yards,  slips  for  vessels  and  railroad  tracks,  is  now,  at  length,  regarded  as  the 
favored  point  where,  under  a  broad  and  comprehensive  plan  looking  towards  a 
new  arrangement  of  the  city's  streets,  avenues,  parks  and  architecture,  it  is  proposed 
to  locate  great  public  buildings  and  create  a  civic  center.  From  this  center  it  is 
contemplated  there  shall  radiate  a  system  of  important  lines  of  communication  reach- 
ing to  the  remotest  parts  of  the  city. 

It  would  have  been  difficult  for  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  in  the  early  times 
to  have  imagined  that  this  locality,  the  very  name  of  which  suggested  hard  con- 
ditions of  existence,  would  ever  be  considered  worthy  of  such  a  distinction.  "The 
stone  which  the  builders  rejected,"  says  the  Scriptures,  "the  same  shall  become  the 
head  of  the  corner."  The  name  of  Hardscrabble,  with  its  poverty-stricken  asso- 
ciations, may  yet  become  a  name  of  honor,  and  be  perpetuated  in  the  name  of  a 
park  or  building  in  the  vicinity,  just  as  the  Rookery  perpetuated  a  term  of  derision 
given  to  a  patched  up  structure  previously  standing  on  its  site,  a  name  which  has 
proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  valuable  additions  to  our  local  nomen- 
clature. 

Returning  to  our  narrative  of  the  tragic  events  at  Lee's  place  it  should  be  stated 
that  Lee  and  his  family  did  not  live  at  Hardscrabble,  but  "resided  in  a  house  on 
the  lake  shore,  not  far  from  the  fort."  There  was  a  log  house  at  the  farm  occu- 

43  Buffalo  Historical  Society  Publications,  Vol.  V,  p.  46. 

44  Hoffman:     "Hist,  of  La  Salle  County,"  p.   104. 


74  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

pied  by  Liberty  White  with  two  other  men  and  a  boy,  the  son  of  Mr.  Lee,45  where 
they  kept  a  few  cows  and  raised  produce  for  the  use  of  the  garrison.  On  the 
afternoon  of  the  7th  of  April,  a  party  of  soldiers,  consisting  of  a  corporal  and  six 
men,  had  obtained  leave  to  go  up  the  river  to  fish,  but  about  dark  they  heard  the 
sound  of  a  gun  fired  at  the  fort,  evidently  intended  to  warn  the  party  of  danger. 
They  were  then  about  two  miles  above  Lee's  place,  and  started  at  once  to  return; 
fearing  that  the  alarm  gun  meant  trouble  with  the  Indians,  so  they  proceeded  cau- 
tiously and  silently.  On  arriving  at  Lee's  Place  it  was  thought  best  to  stop  and 
warn  the  inmates  to  be  upon  their  guard,  as  the  signal  gun  from  the  fort  in- 
dicated danger  of  some  kind. 

All  was  dark  and  still  as  they  approached  the  house.  "They  groped  their  way 
along,"  says  Mrs.  Kinzie  in  "Wau-Bun,"  whose  account  is  here  followed,  "and  as 
the  corporal  jumped  over  the  small  enclosure,  he  placed  his  hand  on  the  dead  body 
of  a  man.  By  the  sense  of  touch  he  soon  ascertained  that  the  head  was  without  a 
scalp,  and  otherwise  mutilated.  The  faithful  dog  of  the  murdered  man  stood  guard- 
ing the  lifeless  remains  of  his  master."  The  party  now  re-embarked  and  pro- 
ceeded on  their  way  to  the  fort  unmolested,  where  they  arrived  about  eleven  o'clock 
at  night. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  on  which  the  soldiers  were  fishing,  a  party 
of  ten  or  twelve  Indians  had  arrived  at  the  house  at  Lee's  Place,  and  according  to 
the  custom  among  savages  entered  and  seated  themselves  without  ceremony.  Some- 
thing in  their  manner  and  appearance  roused  the  suspicions  of  one  of  the  white 
men  living  there,  a  Frenchman  in  the  employ  of  Liberty  White,  who  remarked, 
"I  do  not  like  the  appearance  of  the  Indians,  they  are  none  of  our  folks.  I  know 
by  their  dress  and  paint  that  they  are  not  Pottawattomies."  Another  one  of  the 
white  men,  a  discharged  soldier,  then  said  to  the  boy  Lee  who  was  present,  "If 
that  is  the  case,  we  had  better  get  away  from  them  if  we  can.  Say  nothing,  but 
do  as  you  see  me  do." 

"As  the  afternoon  was  far  advanced,"  relates  Mrs.  Kinzie,  "the  soldier  walked 
leisurely  towards  the  canoes,  of  which  there  were  two  tied  near  the  bank.  Some 
of  the  Indians  inquired  where  he  was  going.  He  pointed  to  the  cattle  which 
were  standing  among  the  haystacks  on  the  opposite  bank;  and  made  signs  that 
they  must  go  and  fodder  them,  and  then  they  should  return  and  get  their  sup- 
per. He  got  into  one  canoe,  and  the  boy  into  the  other.  The  stream  was  narrow, 
and  they  were  soon  across.  When  they  had  gained  the  opposite  side,  they  pulled 
some  hay  for  the  cattle,  made  a  show  of  collecting  them,  and  when  they  had 
gradually  made  a  circuit,  so  that  their  movements  were  concealed  by  the  haystacks, 
they  took  to  the  woods,  which  were  close  at  hand,  and  made  for  the  fort. 

"They  had  run  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  when  they  heard  the  discharge  of 
two  guns  successively,  which  they  supposed  to  have  been  leveled  at  the  companions 
they  had  left  behind."  They  hastened  their  flight  towards  the  fort  and  arrived 
opposite  the  house  of  Burns,  a  man  living  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river  near 
John  Kinzie,  and  called  to  him  to  hasten  to  the  fort.  As  soon  as  the  fugitives 
reached  the  fort,  they  related  the  events  of  the  afternoon;  and  it  was  then  that 
the  alarm  gun  was  fired  to  warn  the  fishing  party  who  were  at  that  moment  far 
np  on  the  South  Branch.  The  next  move  was  to  bring  the  families  of  those  liv- 

45  Kirkland's  "Chicago  Massacre,"  p.  71. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  75 

ing  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  to  the  fort.  A  gallant  young  officer,  Ensign 
Ronan,  volunteered  his  services,  and  with  a  party  of  five  or  six  soldiers  crossed 
the  river.  They  took  the  wife  of  Burns  with  her  infant  scarcely  a  day  old  upon 
her  bed  to  the  boat,  in  which  they  carefully  conveyed  her  and  the  other  members 
of  the  family  to  the  fort.  The  Kinzie  family  had  already  reached  safety  by 
means  of  two  old  pirogues  that  were  moored  near  their  house. 

"The  next  morning  a  party  of  the  citizens  and  soldiers  volunteered  to  go  to 
Lee's  Place  to  learn  further  the  fate  of  its  occupants.  The  body  of  Mr.  White 
was  found  pierced  by  two  balls,  and  with  eleven  stabs  in  his  breast.  The  French- 
man, as  already  described,  lay  dead  with  his  dog  still  beside  him.  Their  bodies 
were  brought  to  the  fort  and  buried  in  its  immediate  vicinity. 

"It  was  subsequently  ascertained,  from  traders  out  in  the  Indian  country, 
that  the  perpetrators  of  this  bloody  deed  were  a  party  of  Winnebagoes,  who  had 
come  into  this  neighborhood  to  'take  some  white  scalps.'  Their  plan  had  been  to 
proceed  down  the  river  from  Lee's  Place,  and  kill  every  white  man  without  the 
walls  of  the  fort.  Hearing,  however,  the  report  of  the  cannon,  and  not  knowing 
what  it  portended,  they  thought  it  best  to  remain  satisfied  with  this  one  exploit, 
and  forthwith  retreated  to  heir  homes  on  Rock  River. 

"The  inhabitants  outside  the  fort,  consisting  of  a  few  discharged  soldiers  and 
some  families  of  half-breeds,  now  entrenched  themselves  in  the  Agency  House. 
This  stood  on  the  esplanade  west  of  the  fort,  between  the  pickets  and  the  river, 
and  distant  about  twenty  rods  from  the  former.  It  was  an  old-fashioned  log 
building,  with  a  hall  running  through  the  center,  and  one  large  room  on  each 
side.  Piazzas  extended  the  whole  length  of  the  building  in  front  and  rear.  These 
were  planked  up  for  greater  security,  port-holes  were  cut,  and  sentinels  posted 
at  night." 

This  account  of  the  attack  on  Lee's  Place,  or  Hardscrabble,  is  largely  quoted 
from  Mrs.  Kinzie's  "Wau-Bun."  Mrs.  Kinzie  tells  us  that  "this  narrative  is  sub- 
stantially the  same  as  that  published  in  pamphlet  form,  in  1836.  It  was  trans- 
ferred with  little  variation  to  Brown's  'History  of  Illinois,'  and  to  a  work  called 
'Western  Annals.'  It  was  likewise  made,  by  Major  Richardson,  the  basis  of  his 
two  tales,  'Hardscrabble,'  and  'Wau-nan-gee.'  " 

The  tragedy  at  Lee's  Place  was  one  of  the  manifestations  of  the  malign  in- 
fluence exerted  by  Tecumseh  among  the  tribes  of  the  Middle  West.  There  were 
other  alarms  and  night  raids  by  the  Indians  for  some  time  afterward,  but  nothing 
more  serious  happened  than  some  damage  to  the  live  stock  kept  near  the  fort; 
after  that  a  period  of  quiet  ensued  until  the  events  connected  with  the  massacre 
four  months  later,  which  will  be  described  in  the  next  chapter. 

"Wau-Bun"  is  the  most  valuable  written  record  connected  with  this  period  of 
Chicago  History.  Until  the  account  of  the  massacre  and  the  preliminary  tragedy 
at  Lee's  Place  were  published  by  her  in  1836,  many  of  the  details  of  these  events 
were  preserved  only  in  the  memory  of  the  participants.  Twenty  years  later,  that 
is,  in  1856,  "Wau-Bun"  appeared  from  the  press  of  Derby  &  Jackson,  New  York. 
In  his  introduction  to  the  excellent  Caxton  Club  edition  of  "Wau-Bun,"  issued  in 
1901,  Mr.  Thwaites  says:  "'Wau-Bun'  gives  us  our  first,  and  in  some  respects 
our  best,  insight  into  the  'early  day'  of  the  old  Northwest.  The  graphic  illustra- 
tions of  early  scenes  which  the  author  has  drawn  for  us  are  excellent  of  their 


76  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

kind,  indicating  an  artistic  capacity  certainly  unusual  upon  the  American  frontier 
of  seventy  years  ago.  But  better  than  these  is  the  text  itself.  The  action  is 
sufficiently  rapid,  the  description  is  direct,  and  that  the  style  is  unadorned  but 
makes  the  story  appear  to  us  the  more  vivid." 

Mrs.  Kinzie  will  be  often  mentioned  and  quoted  from  in  the  further  progress 
of  this  history,  for  "no  one,"  says  Hurlbut,  "ever  attempts  to  write  about  the  early 
history  of  Chicago  without  drawing  from  the  pages  of  Mrs.  Kinzie's  book." 


CHAPTER  V 

FORT  DEARBORN  MASSACRE 

DANGER  THREATENING  FORT  DEARBORN ORDERS  RECEIVED  TO  EVACUATE  THE  FORT 

PREPARATIONS     FOR     DEPARTURE ARRIVAL     OF     CAPTAIN     WILLIAM     WELLS DE- 
PARTURE   FROM    THE    FORT ATTACK    BY    THE    INDIANS MASSACRE DEATH    OF 

CAPTAIN  WELLS,  ENSIGN  RONAN,  DR.  VAN  VOORHIS SURRENDER  OF  CAPTAIN  HEALD 

ESCAPE     OF     KINZIE     FAMILY SERGEANT     GRIFFITH'S     ADVENTURE STORY     OF 

JOHN    COOPER'S    FAMILY — VENGEANCE    TAKEN — KINZIES    LEAVE  'CHICAGO — JOHN 

KINZIE  AS  PRISONER  OF  WAR CAPTAIN  HEALD's  ORDERS CONDITIONS  IN   ILLINOIS 

TERRITORY. 

V 

DANGER    FROM    BRITISH    AND    INDIANS 

officers  stationed  at  Fort  Dearborn  in  the  summer  of  1812  were  Cap- 
tain Heald  in  command,  Lieutenant  Linai  T.  Helm,  Ensign  George 
Ronan,  and  Dr.  Isaac  Van  Voorhis.  The  company  which  formed  the 
garrison  was  composed  of  fifty-four  regulars  of  the  First  Regiment, 
United  States  troops,  and  twelve  militia.1  The  women  of  the  fort  were 
Mrs.  Heald  and  Mrs.  Helm,  while  many  of  the  soldiers  were  married  and  their 
wives  and  children  were  with  them. 

The  alarms  occasioned  by  Indian  hostility  in  the  spring  had  subsided  during 
the  following  summer,  and  affairs  at  the  fort  were  moving  along  once  more  in 
their  accustomed  channel.  One  day  the  little  community  was  thrown  into  a 
state  of  excitement  by  the  arrival  of  a  messenger  from  Detroit  with  news  of  the 
greatest  importance. 

On  the  7th  of  August  an  Indian  chief  of  the  Pottawattomie  tribe  named  Winne- 
meg,  or  Winamac  as  he  is  sometimes  called,  arrived  at  Fort  Dearborn  with  dis- 
patches from  General  Hull  to  Captain  Heald.  General  William  Hull  had  been  a 
distinguished  officer  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  had  for  seven  years  been  the 
governor  of  Michigan  Territory.2  In  anticipation  of  war  the  government  had 
placed  him  in  command  of  the  Northwestern  Army,  which  had  been  assembled 
at  Detroit.  Winnemeg  had  shown  his  friendship  for  the  Americans  on  previous 
occasions,  and  General  Hull  had  intrusted  to  him  the  important  dispatches  which  he 
bore.3  He  brought  the  news  that  war  had  been  declared  against  Great  Britain  on 

1  Captain  Heald's  Report,  Oct.  23,  1812;  and  Niles  Register,  June  14,  1814.;  cited  by  Hurl- 
but  in  "Chicago  Antiquities,"  pp.  179  and  180. 

2  Hull's  "Memoirs  of  the  Northwestern  Array,"  pp.  17  and  25. 

3  Blanchard's  "Discovery  of  the  Northwest,"  Vol.  I,  p.  352. 

77 


78  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

the   18th  of  June,  that  Mackinac  had   already   fallen  into   the  possession  of  the 
British,  and  that  Detroit  was  closely  pressed  by  the  British  and  their  Indian  allies. 

PREPARATION  FOR  EVACUATION  OF  F.OHT  DEARBORN 

"With  regard  to  Fort  Dearborn,  the  orders  to  Captain  Heald  were,  to  evacuate 
the  fort,  if  practicable,  and  in  that  event,  to  distribute  all  the  United  States  prop- 
erty contained  in  the  fort,  and  in  the  United  States'  factory,  or  agency,  among 
the  Indians  in  the  neighborhood."  4 

The  account  of  what  followed  is  quoted  from  "Wau-Bun:"  "After  having 
delivered  his  dispatches,  Winnemeg  requested  a  private  interview  with  Mr.  Kinzie, 
who  had  taken  up  his  residence  in  the  fort.  He  stated  to  Mr.  Kinzie  that  he  was 
acquainted  with  the  purport  of  the  communications  he  had  brought,  and  begged 
him  to  ascertain  if  it  were  the  intention  of  Captain  Heald  to  evacuate  the  post. 
He  advised  strongly  against  such  a  step,  inasmuch  as  the  garrison  was  well  sup- 
plied with  ammunition,  and  with  provisions  for  six  months.  It  would,  therefore, 
be  far  better,  he  thought,  to  remain  until  a  reinforcement  could  be  sent  to  their 
assistance.  If,  however,  Captain  Heald  should  decide  upon  leaving  the  post,  it 
should  by  all  means  be  done  immediately.  The  Pottowattamies,  through  whose 
country  they  must  pass,  being  ignorant  of  the  object  of  Winnemeg's  mission,  a 
forced  march  might  be  made,  before  those  who  were  hostile  in  their  feelings  were 
prepared  to  interrupt  them. 

"Of  this  advice,  so  earnestly  given,  Captain  Heald  was  immediately  informed. 
He  replied  that  it  was  his  intention  to  evacuate  the  post,  but  that,  inasmuch  as  he 
had  received  orders  to  distribute  the  United  States'  property,  he  should  not  feel 
justified  in  leaving  it  until  he  had  collected  the  Indians  of  the  neighborhood  and 
made  an  equitable  division  among  them. 

"Winnemeg  then  suggested  the  expediency  of  marching  out,  and  leaving  all 
things  standing — possibly  while  the  Indians  were  engaged  in  the  partition  of  the 
spoils,  the  troops  might  effect  their  retreat  unmolested.  This  advice  was  strongly 
seconded  by  Mr.  Kinzie,  but  did  not  meet  the  approbation  of  the  commanding 
officer. 

"The  order  for  evacuating  the  post  was  read  next  morning  upon  parade.  It 
is  difficult  to  understand  why  Captain  Heald,  in  such  an  emergency,  omitted  the 
usual  form  of  calling  a  council  of  war  with  his  officers.  It  can  only  be  accounted 
for  by  the  fact  of  a  want  of  harmonious  feeling  between  himself  and  one  of  his 
junior  officers — Ensign  Ronan,  a  high-spirited  and  somewhat  overbearing,  but  brave 
and  generous  young  man. 

"In  the  course  of  the  day,  finding  that  no  council  was  called,  the  officers  waited 
on  Captain  Heald  to  be  informed  what  course  he  intended  to  pursue.  When  they 
learned  his  intentions,  they  remonstrated  with  him,  on  the  following  grounds: 

"First — It  was  highly  improbable  that  the  command  would  be  permitted  to 
pass  through  the  country  in  safety  to  Fort  Wayne.  For  although  it  had  been 
said  that  some  of  the  chiefs  had  opposed  an  attack  upon  the  fort,  planned  the 
preceding  autumn,  yet  it  was  well  known  that  they  had  been  actuated  in  that  mat- 
ter by  motives  of  private  regard  to  one  family,  that  of  Mr.  Kinzie,  and  not  to 

4  Wau-Bun  (Caxton  Ed.),  p.  162. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  79 

any  general  friendly  feeling  towards  the  Americans;  and  that,  at  any  rate,  it  was 
hardly  to  be  expected  that  these  few  individuals  would  be  able  to  control  the 
whole  tribe,  who  were  thirsting  for  blood. 

"In  the  next  place — Their  march  must  necessarily  be  slow,  as  their  move- 
ments must  be  accommodated  to  the  helplessness  of  the  women  and  children,  of 
whom  there  were  a  number  with  the  detachment.  That  of  their  small  force,  some 
of  the  soldiers  were  superannuated,  others  invalid;  therefore,  since  the  course  to 
be  pursued  was  left  discretional,5  their  unanimous  advice  was,  to  remain  where 
they  were,  and  fortify  themselves  as  strongly  as  possible.  Succors  from  the  other 
side  of  the  peninsula  might  arrive  before  they  could  be  attacked  by  the  British 
from  Mackinac;  and  even  should  they  not,  it  were  far  better  to  fall  into  the  hands 
of  the  latter  than  to  become  the  victims  of  the  savages. 

"Captain  Heald  argued  in  reply,  'that  a  special  order  had  been  issued  by  the 
War  Department,  that  no  post  should  be  surrendered  without  battle  having  been 
given,  and  his  force  was  totally  inadequate  to  an  engagement  with  the  Indians; 
that  he  should  unquestionably  be  censured  for  remaining,  when  there  appeared 
a  prospect  of  a  safe  march  through;  and  that,  upon  the  whole,  he  deemed  it  ex- 
pedient to  assemble  the  Indians,  distribute  the  property  among  them,  and  then 
ask  of  them  an  escort  to  Fort  Wayne,  with  the  promise  of  a  considerable  reward 
upon  their  safe  arrival — adding,  that  he  had  full  confidence  in  the  friendly  pro- 
fessions of  the  Indians,  from  whom,  as  well  as  from  the  soldiers,  the  capture  of 
Mackinac  had  been  kept  a  profound  secret.' 

"From  this  time  the  officers  held  themselves  aloof,  and  spoke  but  little  upon 
the   subject,  though   they   considered   the   project   of   Captain    Heald   little    short 
of  madness.      The    dissatisfaction   among   the   soldiers    hourly   increased,    until   it 
'   reached  a  high  pitch  of  insubordination. 

"Upon  one  occasion,  as  Captain  Heald  was  conversing  with  Mr.  Kinzie  upon 
the  parade,  he  remarked,  'I  could  not  remain,  even  if  I  thought  it  best,  for  I 
have  but  a  small  store  of  provisions.' 

'  'Why,  captain,'  said  a  soldier  who  stood  near,  forgetting  all  etiquette  in  the 
excitement  of  the  moment,  'you  have  cattle  enough  to  last  the  troops  six  months.' 

"  'But,'  replied  Captain  Heald,  'I  have  no  salt  to  preserve  it  with.' 
'  'Then  jerk  it,'  said  the  man,  'as  the  Indians  do  their  venison.' 

"The  Indians  now  became  daily  more  unruly.  Entering  the  fort  in  defiance 
of  the  sentinels,  they  made  their  way  without  ceremony  into  the  officers'  quarters. 
On  one  occasion  an  Indian  took  up  a  rifle  and  fired  it  in  the  parlor  of  the  com- 
manding officer,  as  an  expression  of  defiance.  Some  were  of  opinion  that  this  was 
intended  among  the  young  men  as  a  signal  for  an  attack.  The  old  chiefs  passed 
backwards  and  forwards  among  the  assembled  groups,  with  the  appearance  of  the 
most  lively  agitation,  while  the  squaws  rushed  to  and  fro,  in  great  excitement, 
and  evidently  prepared  for  some  fearful  scene. 

"Any  further  manifestation  of  ill  feeling  was,  however,  suppressed  for  the 
present,  and  Captain  Heald,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  continued  to  entertain  a  con- 
viction of  having  created  so  amicable  a  disposition  among  the  Indians,  as  would 
insure  the  safety  of  the  command  on  their  march  to  Fort  Wayne. 

"Thus  passed  the  time  until  the  12th  of  August.     The  feelings  of  the  inmates 

6  See  copy  of  General  Hull's  order,  post. 


80  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

of  the  fort  during  this  time  may  be  better  imagined  than  described.  Each  morn- 
ing that  dawned  seemed  to  bring  them  nearer  to  that  most  appalling  fate — butchery 
by  a  savage  foe — and  at  night  they  scarcely  dared  yield  to  slumber,  lest  they  should 
be  aroused  by  the  war-whoop  and  tomahawk.  Gloom  and  mistrust  prevailed,  and 
the  want  of  unanimity  among  the  officers  debarred  them  the  consolation  they  might 
have  found  in  mutual  sympathy  and  encouragement. 

"The  Indians  being  assembled  from  the  neighboring  villages,  a  council  was 
held  with  them  on  the  afternoon  of  the  twelfth.  Captain  Heald  alone  attended  on 
the  part  of  the  military.  He  requested  his  officers  to  accompany  him,  but  they 
declined.  They  had  been  secretly  informed  that  it  was  the  intention  of  the  young 
chiefs  to  fall  upon  the  officers  and  massacre  them  while  in  council,  but  they  could 
not  persuade  Captain  Heald  of  the  truth  of  their  information.  They  waited  there- 
fore only  until  he  had  left  the  garrison,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Kinzie,  when  they 
took  command  of  the  block-houses  which  overlooked  the  esplanade  on  which  the 
council  was  held,  opened  the  port-holes,  and  pointed  the  cannon  so  as  to  com- 
mand the  whole  assembly.  By  this  means,  probably,  the  lives  of  the  whites  who 
were  present  in  council  were  preserved. 

"In  council,  the  commanding  officer  informed  the  Indians  that  it  was  his  inten- 
tion to  distribute  among  them,  the  next  day,  not  only  the  goods  lodged  in  the 
United  States'  factory,  but  also  the  ammunition  and  provisions,  with  which  the 
garrison  was  well  supplied.  He  then  requested  of  the  Pottowattamies  an  escort 
to  Fort  Wayne,  promising  them  a  liberal  reward  on  arriving  there,  in  addition  to 
the  presents  they  were  now  about  to  receive.  With  many  professions  of  friend- 
ship and  goodwill,  the  savages  assented  to  all  he  proposed,  and  promised  all  he 
required. 

"After  the  council,  Mr.  Kinzie,  who  understood  well,  not  only  the  Indian  char- 
acter, but  the  present  tone  of  feeling  among  them,  had  a  long  interview  with  Cap- 
tain Heald,  in  hopes  of  opening  his  eyes  to  the  present  posture  of  affairs. 

"He  reminded  him  that  since  the  troubles  with  the  Indians  upon  the  Wabash 
and  its  vicinity,  there  had  appeared  a  settled  plan  of  hostilities  towards  the 
whites,  in  consequence  of  which  it  had  been  the  policy  of  the  Americans  to  with- 
hold from  them  whatever  would  enable  them  to  carry  on  their  warfare  upon  the 
defenseless  inhabitants  of  the  frontier.  *  *  * 

"Captain  Heald  was  struck  with  the  impolicy  of  furnishing  the  enemy  (for 
such  they  must  now  consider  their  old  neighbors)  with  arms  against  himself,  and 
determined  to  destroy  all  the  ammunition  except  what  should  be  necessary  for  the 
use  of  his  own  troops. 

"On  the  13th,  the  goods,  consisting  of  blankets,  broadcloths,  calicoes,  paints, 
etc.,  where  distributed,  as  stipulated.  The  same  evening  the  ammunition  and  liquor 
were  carried,  part  into  the  sally-port,  and  thrown  into  a  well  which  had  been  dug 
there  to  supply  the  garrison  with  water  in  case  of  emergency;  the  remainder  was 
transported  as  secretly  as  possible  through  the  northern  gate,  the  heads  of  the 
barrels  knocked  in,  and  the  contents  poured  into  the  river.  The  same  fate  was 
shared  by  a  large  quantity  of  alcohol  belonging  to  Mr.  Kinzie,  which  had  been 
deposited  in  a  warehouse  near  his  residence  opposite  the  fort. 

"The  Indians  suspected  what  was  going  on,  and  crept,  serpent-like,  as  near 
the  scene  of  action  as  possible,  but  a  vigilant  watch  was  kept  up,  and  no  one  was 


GEN.  HULL'S  LETTER 

SANDWICH,  July  29,  1812. 
Capt.  Nath.  HealA, 

SIR:  It  is  with  regret  I  order  the  evacuation  of  your 
post  owing  to  the  want  of  provisions  only,  a  neglect  of 
the  Commandant  of  Detroit.  You  will  therefore  de- 
stroy all  arms  and  ammunition,  but  the  goods  of  the 
factory  you  may  give  to  the  friendly  Indians,  who  may 
be  desirous  of  escorting  you  on  to  Fort  Wayne,  and 
to  the  poor  and  needy  of  your  post.  I  ain  informed 
this  day  that  Maekinac  and  the  Island  of  St.  Joseph's 
will  be  evacuated  on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  pro- 
visions, and  I  hope  in  my  next  to  give  you  an  account 
of  the  surrender  of  the  British  at  Maiden,  as  I  expect 
600  men  here  by  the  beginning  of  Sept.  I  am,  sir 
Yours,  &c, 

BEIGADIER  GEN.  HULL. 


^U-   ^£v,       £t^-^-^^-  C^~*J 


By  courtesy  of  Wisconsin  Historical  Society 


FACSIMILE  OF  GENERAL  HULL'S  ORDER  TO  CAPTAIN  HEALD  TO 
EVACUATE  FORT  DEARBORN 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  81 

suffered  to  approach  but  those  engaged  in  the  affair.  All  the  muskets  not  nec- 
essary for  the  command  on  the  march  were  broken  up  and  thrown  into  the  well, 
together  with  the  bags  of  shot,  flints,  gunscrews,  and,  in  short,  everything  relating 
to  weapons  of  offense." 

ARRIVAL    OF    CAPTAIN    WILLIAM    WELLS 

On  the  14th,  one  week  after  Winnemeg's  arrival  with  dispatches,  Captain  Will- 
iam Wells  arrived  at  the  post  from  Fort  Wayne,  with  a  band  of  fifteen  friendly 
Miami  Indians.  He  had  heard  at  Fort  Wayne  of  the  order  for  the  evacuation  of 
Fort  Dearborn,  and,  aware  of  the  hostility  of  the  Pottawattomies,  he  had  hur- 
ried across  the  country  to  warn  Captain  Heald  of  the  certain  destruction  he  was 
exposed  to  if  he  should  abandon  the  fort. 

When  he  reached  the  fort,  however,  "he  found  that  the  ammunition  had  been 
destroyed,  and  the  provisions  given  to  the  Indians.  There  was  therefore  no  alter- 
native, and  every  preparation  was  made  for  the  march  of  the  troops  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning."  Wells  possessed  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  character  and  dis- 
position of  the  Indians  derived  from  his  long  residence  among  them.  The  savages 
soon  learned  of  the  destruction  of  the  arms  and  ammunition  which  they  were  es- 
pecially anxious  to  secure,  as  well  as  of  the  liquors  which  had  been  poured  into 
the  river.  Some  of  the  chiefs,  however,  endeavored  to  restrain  their  young  men, 
and  exerted  their  utmost  influence  to  allay  their  feelings  of  resentment,  but  with 
little  effect. 

LAST    DAYS    OF    THE    FIRST     FORT    DEARBORN 

One  of  the  chiefs,  Black  Partridge,  seeing  how  hopeless  was  the  situation,  came 
to  the  commanding  officer,  and  said:  "Father,  I  come  to  deliver  up  to  you  the 
medal  I  wear.  It  was  given  me  by  the  Americans,  and  I  have  long  worn  it  in 
token  of  our  mutual  friendship.  But  our  young  men  are  resolved  to  imbrue  their 
hands  in  the  blood  of  the  whites.  I  cannot  restrain  them,  and  I  will  not  wear  a 
token  of  peace  while  I  am  compelled  to  act  as  an  enemy."  The  medal  referred 
to  had  been  given  him  at  a  previous  date  perhaps  some  years  before.  The  face  of 
the  medal,  as  shown  in  the  accompanying  illustration,  bears  the  portrait  of  Presi- 
dent Madison  and  the  year  1809.  Already  some  four  or  five  hundred  Indians  had 
gathered  about  the  fort,  attracted  thither  by  the  report  that  had  circulated  among 
them  of  the  distribution  of  supplies.  A  word  picture  of  the  scene  is  given  in  Kirk- 
land's  "Story  of  Chicago,"  which,  with  a  few  slight  changes  and  omissions,  is 
quoted  as  follows: 

"A  lonely  weedy  streamlet  flows  eastward  past  the  fort,  then  turns  sharp  to 
the  right  and  makes  its  way  by  a  shallow,  fordable  ripple,  over  a  long  sand  bar, 
into  the  lake  a  half  mile  to  the  southward.  On  the  river  bank  stands  the  United 
States  Agency  Storehouse.  Across  the  river  and  a  little  to  the  eastward  is  the 
old  Kinzie  house,  built  of  squared  logs,  by  Jean  Baptiste  Pointe  de  Saible,  nearly 
forty  years  before,  now  repaired,  enlarged  and  improved  by  its  owner  and  occupant, 
John  Kinzie.  Just  west  of  Kinzie's  house  is  Ouilmette's  cabin,  and  still  farther 
that  of  John  Burns.  Opposite  Burns'  place,  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  a 
swampy  branch  enters  the  river  from  the  south,  and  on  the  sides  of  this  branch 
there  is  a  group  of  Indian  wigwams.  The  north  side  of  the  river  is  all  wooded, 
except  where  little  garden  patches  are  cleared  around  the  human  habitations.  One 


82  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

might  see  from  the  top  of  the  block  house  the  forks  of  the  stream  a  mile  to  the 
westward, — the  'River  Guarie'  flowing-  from  the  north,  and  the  'Portage  River' 
from  the  south." 

THE  DEPARTURE  FROM  THE  FORT 

The  morning  of  the  fatal  fifteenth  of  August  had  arrived.  All  things  were 
in  readiness  for  the  departure  of  the  troops.  Captain  Heald's  whole  party,  as 
they  marched  out  of  the  gate  of  the  fort  on  that  bright  and  sunny  morning,  was 
composed  of  fifty-four  regulars,  twelve  militiamen,  nine  women  and  eighteen  chil- 
dren,— ninety-three  white  persons  in  all.6  Captain  Wells  took  the  lead  mounted 
on  his  thoroughbred,  with  his  face  blackened,  as  is  the  Indian  custom  when  pre- 
pared for  death.  With  him  in  the  advance  was  half  of  his  escort  of  Miamis 
mounted  on  Indian  ponies,  followed  in  turn  by  soldiers ;  next  came  a  train  of 
wagons  with  the  women  and  children,  except  Mrs.  Heald  and  Mrs.  Helm,  who 
were  on  horseback;  in  the  wagons  were  the  supplies  and  camp  equipage.  The 
rear  of  the  column  was  brought  up  by  the  remainder  of  the  Miami  escort.  With 
the  column  marched  Mr.  Kinzie,  who  bravely  chose  to  remain  with  the  troops, 
although  a  friendly  Indian  chief,  Topenebe,  had  warned  him  against  doing  so. 
Mr.  Kinzie's  family  had  already  embarked  in  a  boat  under  the  guidance  of  two 
friendly  Indians.  The  party  in  the  boat  consisted  of  Mrs.  John  Kinzie  and  her 
four  children  of  various  ages — from  two  to  nine  years — ,  the  nurse  Josette  La 
Framboise,  a  clerk  of  Mr.  Kinzie's  named  Chandonnais,  two  servants,  a  boatman, 
and  the  two  Indians  above  spoken  of, — in  all  a  part}-  of  twelve  persons.  Mrs. 
Kinzie's  daughter  by  her  first  marriage,  Margaret  McKillip.  now  the  wife  of 
Lieutenant  Helm,  had  chosen  to  accompany  her  husband  on  the  march.7 

THE     ATTACK     BY     THE    INDIANS 

Their  course  lay  south  along  the  shore  of  the  lake.  A  range  of  low  sand  hills 
extended  south  between  the  lake  shore  and  the  prairie  to  the  westward.  The  ad- 
vance under  Captain  Wells  had  reached  a  point  about  a  mile  and  a  half  distant 
from  the  fort  (at  the  present  intersection  of  Eighteenth  Street  and  Calumet 
Avenue),  when  W7ells  "was  seen  to  turn  and  ride  back,  swinging  his  hat  around 
his  head  in  a  circle,  which  meant  in  the  sign  language  of  the  frontier,  'we  are 
surrounded  by  Indians.' " 8  As  he  came  nearer  he  shouted  to  Captain  Heald, 
"They  are  about  to  attack  us ;  form  instantly  and  charge  upon  them."  °  The 
escort  of  Pottawattomies  which  had  been  promised  to  Captain  Heald  by  that 
tribe  had  left  the  fort  in  their  company,  but  instead  of  remaining  with  the  col- 
umn had  diverged  in  their  course  and  were  now  on  the  prairie  west  of  the  sand 
hills.  It  was  this  "escort"  which  had  suddenly  become  the  attacking  party.  The 
heads  of  the  Indians  could  now  be  seen  bobbing  up  and  down  beyond  the  sand 
hills  "like  turtles  out  of  the  water." 

The  troops  were  promptly  put  in  line  and  were  at  once  saluted  by  a  volley 

8  Mason's  "Chapters  from   Illinois  History,"   p.   318. 

7  Kirkland's   "Chicago  Massacre,"   p.  23. 

8  Mason's  "Chapters  from   Illinois   History,"   p.   316. 

9  Kirkland's  "Chicago  Massacre,"  p.  27. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS      .  83 

from  the  Indians.  Tin-  charge  was  pressed  and  the  Indians  gave  way  in  front, 
but  closed  in  on  the  flanks.  "The  troops  behaved  most  gallantly/'  wrote  Mrs. 
Helm  in  her  subsequent  account.  "They  were  but  a  handful,  but  they  seemed  re- 
solved to  sell  their  lives  as  dearly  as  possible."  The  cowardly  Miami  escort 
fled  at  the  first  fire,  and  made  good  their  escape  in  the  direction  of  Fort  Wayne. 

Mrs.  -Helm's  narrative  continues  substantially  as  follows:  "In  the  mean- 
time a  horrible  scene  was  enacted.  One  young  savage,  climbing  into  the  baggage- 
wagon  containing  the  children  of  the  white  families,"  tomahawked  nearly  all  of 
them.  Captain  Wells  had  already  led  a  charge,  and  while  engaged  he  beheld  this 
awful  outrage.  "Is  that  your  game,  butchering  women  and  children?"  and  turning 
his  horse's  head,  he  started  for  the  Indian  camp,  where  had  been  left  the  squaws 
and  children;  but  before  he  could  carry  out  this  intention  he  was  surrounded  by 
Indians,  one  of  whom  he  killed  by  a  shot  from  his  gun. 

Mrs.  Heald's  narrative,  which  varies  from  that  of  Mrs.  Helm's  in  several  im- 
portant details,  says  that  Captain  Wells  "had  two  pistols  and  a  small  gun;  his 
bullets  and  powder  were  kept  in  shoulder  belts,  and  he  generally  had  an  extra 
bullet  in  his  mouth.  He  could  pour  in  a  little  powder,  wad  it  down,  blow  in  the 
bullet,  prime  and  fire,  more  quickly  than  one  could  relate  the  fact."  '"  He  saw 
his  niece,  Mrs.  Heald,  just  at  this  time,  and  riding  up  to  her  covered  with  blood 
from  a  shot  he  had  received  through  the  breast,  he  said  to  her:  "Farewell,  my 
child.  Tell  my  wife — if  you  live  to  see  her — tell  her  I  died  at  my  post.  There 
are  seven  red  devils  over  there  that  I  have  killed."  At  this  moment  Mrs.  Heald 
exclaimed,  "There  is  an  Indian  pointing  right  at  the  back  of  your  head."  Turning 
to  face  the  foe,  he  cried  out  "Shoot  away,"  and  instantly  the  Indian  fired  the  shot 
and  Captain  Wells  fell  dead.  Thus  nobly  perished  one  of  the  best  and  bravest 
frontiersmen  of  his  time,  fighting  where  he  had  been  summoned  by  sympathy  and 
affection.  He  died  like  a  man.  His  memory  is  perpetuated  in  the  name  of  an 
important  street  in  our  city,  and  his  name  will  go  down  in  history  as  one  of  the 
heroes  of  the  early  time. 

The  battle  lasted  about  fifteen  minutes.11  During  its  progress,  Mrs.  Helm 
relates  in  her  narrative,  she  felt  that  her  hour  had  come  and  she  endeavored  to 
prepare  herself  for  her  approaching  fate.  "While  I  was  thus  engaged,"  she  con- 
tinues, "the  surgeon,  Dr.  Van  Voorhis,  came  up.  He  was  badly  wounded.  His 
horse  had  been  shot  under  him,  and  he  had  received  a  ball  in  his  leg.  Every  muscle 
of  his  face  was  quivering  with  the  agony  of  terror.  He  said  to  me,  'Do  you  think 
they  will  take  our  lives?  I  am  badly  wounded,  but  I  think  not  mortally.  Perhaps 
we  might  purchase  our  lives  by  promising  them  a  large  reward.  Do  you  think 
there  is  any  chance?' 

"  'Dr.  Van  Voorhis,'  said  I,  'do  not  let  us  waste  the  few  moments  that  yet 
remain  to  us  in  such  vain  hopes.  Our  fate  is  inevitable.  In  a  few  moments  we 
must  appear  before  the  bar  of  God.  Let  us  make  what  preparation  is  yet  in  our 
power !' 

"'Oh,  I  cannot  die!'  he  exclaimed,  'I  am  not  fit  to  die — if  I  had  but  a  short 
time  to  prepare — death  is  awful!' 

"I  pointed  to  Ensign  Ronan,  who,  though  mortally  wounded  and  nearly  down, 

10  Kirkland's  "Chicago  Massacre,"  p.  32. 

11  Fergus   Series,   No.   16,   p.    52. 


84  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

was  still  fighting  with  desperation  on  one  knee.  'Look  at  that  man/  said  I ;  'at 
least  he  dies  like  a  soldier!'  'Yes,'  replied  the  unfortunate  man,  with  a  convulsive 
grasp,  'but  he  has  no  terrors  of  the  future — he  is  an  unbeliever.'  "  12  Dr.  Van 
Voorhis,  as  well  as  Ensign  Ronan,  was  numbered  among  the  slain. 

Dr.  Van  Voorhis  was  only  twenty-two  years  old  at  the  time  of  his  tragic  death. 
He  had  been  on  duty  at  the  fort  for  about  a  year  previous  to  the  massacre.  "In  an 
obituary  notice  published  in  the  'Political  Index,'  November  17,  1812,  at  New- 
burg,  New  York,  is  the  following:  'Among  the  slain  was  Dr.  Van  Voorhis,  of  Fish- 
kill,  surgeon  in  the  army.  He  was  a  young  man  of  great  merit,  and  received  his 
early  education  at  the  academy  in  this  village.  He  possessed  an  enterprising  and 
cultivated  mind,  and  was  ardent  in  the  support  of  the  interest  and  honor  of  his 
country.'  "  ]  3 

Ensign  George  Ronan  was  also  a  young  man  who  had  graduated  from  the  mili- 
tary academy  at  West  Point  only  the  previous  year.  The  rank  of  ensign  was 
given  to  all  graduated  from  West  Point  at  that  time,  a  rank  which  corresponds  to 
that  of  second-lieutenant  in  modern  army  regulations. 

CAPTAIN  HEALD'S  SURRENDER 

Meantime  Captain  Heald  and  a  remnant  of  his  force  were  isolated  on  a  mound 
in  the  prairie ;  he  had  lost  all  his  officers,  Lieutenant  Helm  having  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  the  Indians,  and  half  his  men;  while  he  himself  was  sorely  wounded,  and 
had  no  choice  but  to  surrender  on  the  best  terms  he  could  make.14  The  Indians  had 
got  possession  of  the  horses,  provisions  and  baggage  of  every  description.  From 
his  position  Captain  Heald  saw  the  Indians  make  signs  to  him  to  approach  them 
for  consultation.  He  advanced  alone  and  was  asked  to  surrender  by  one  of  the 
Pottawattomie  chiefs,  called  Black-Bird,  who  at  the  same  time  promised  to  spare 
the  lives  of  the  prisoners.  "On  a  few  moments'  consideration,"  says  Captain  Heald 
in  his  published  report  printed  some  months  later  in  the  Niles  Register,  "I  con- 
cluded it  would  be  most  prudent  to  comply  with  his  request,  although  I  did  not 
put  entire  confidence  in  his  promise." 

THE  ADVENTURES  OF  THE  BOAT  PARTY 

The  family  of  Mr.  Kinzie,  in  the  boat,  kept  near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and 
watched  with  great  anxiety  the  departure  of  the  troops  and  their  trains  as  they 
proceeded  towards  the  south.  They  heard  the  discharge  of  guns  when  the  Indians 
attacked,  and  following  down  the  shore  they  saw  a  woman  on  horseback  led  by  an 
Indian.  "That  is  Mrs.  Heald,"  cried  Mrs.  Kinzie.  "That  Indian  will  kill  her.  Run, 
Chandonnais,  take  the  mule  that  is  tied  there,  and  offer  it  to  him  to  release  her." 
The  Indian  was  already  attempting  to  take  off  her  bonnet  in  order  to  scalp  her, 
though  she  resisted  vigorously.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Mrs.  Heald  was  the 
niece  of  Captain  Wells,  whom  she  had  seen  shot  before  her  eyes.  The  Indian 
accepted  the  offer  of  the  mule  for  the  release  of  Mrs.  Heald,  and  she  was  taken  on 

12  Andreas:     "History  of  Chicago,"  Vol.  I,  p.  457. 

is  "Wau-Bun"   (Caxton  Ed.),  p.   173. 

14  Mason:     "Chapters  from  Illinois  History,"  p.  316. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  85 

board  the  boat,  where  she  lay  moaning  with  pain  from  the  wounds  she  had  re- 
ceived. At  length  the  party  in  the  boat  returned  to  the  Kinzie  house,  where  Mr. 
Kinzie,  having  escaped  the  massacre,  soon  after  joined  them.  Here  they  were 
closely  guarded  by  their  Indian  friends,  whose  intention  it  was  to  carry  them  to 
Detroit  for  safety. 

MRS.  HELM'S  THRILLING  ADVENTURE 

Mrs.  Helm's  conversation  with  the  doomed  Dr.  Van  Voorhis  was  quickly  fol- 
lowed by  what  she  supposed  was  to  be  the  last  moment  of  her  own  life.  "At  this 
moment,"  she  relates  in  her  narrative,  "a  young  Indian  raised  his  tomahawk  at 
me.  By  springing  aside  I  partially  avoided  the  blow,  which  was  intended  for  my 
skull,  but  which  alighted  on  my  shoulder.  I  seized  him  around  the  neck  and  while 
exerting  my  utmost  efforts  to  get  possession  of  his  scalping-knife,  which  hung  in  a 
scabbard  over  his  breast,  I  was  dragged  from  his  grasp  by  another  and  an  older 
Indian. 

"The  latter  bore  me  struggling  and  resisting  towards  the  lake.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  rapidity  with  which  I  was  hurried  along,  I  recognized,  as  I  passed  them, 
the  lifeless  remains  of  the  unfortunate  surgeon.  Some  murderous  tomahawk  had 
stretched  him  upon  the  very  spot  where  I  had  last  seen  him. 

"I  was  immediately  plunged  into  the  water  and  held  there  with  a  forcible  hand, 
notwithstanding  my  resistance.  I  soon  perceived,  however,  that  the  object  of  my 
captor  was  not  to  drown  me,  for  he  held  me  firmly  in  such  a  position  as  to  place 
my  head  above  water.  This  reassured  me,  and  regarding  him  attentively,  I  soon 
recognized,  in  spite  of  the  paint  with  which  he  was  disguised,  The  Black  Partridge! 

"When  the  firing  had  nearly  subsided,  my  preserver  bore  me  from  the  water 
and  conducted  me  up  the  sand  banks.  It  was  a  burning  August  morning,  and  walk- 
ing through  the  sand  in  my  drenched  condition  was  inexpressibly  painful  and 
fatiguing.  I  stooped  and  took  off  my  shoes  to  free  them  from  the  sand  with  which 
they  were  nearly  filled,  when  a  squaw  seized  and  carried  them  off,  and  I  was 
obliged  to  proceed  without  them. 

"When  I  had  gained  the  prairie,  I  was  met  by  my  father  [her  step-father  Mr. 
Kinzie,]  who  told  me  that  my  husband  was  safe  and  but  slightly  wounded.  They 
led  me  gently  back  towards  the  Chicago  river,  along  the  southern  bank  of  which 
was  the  Pottawattomie  encampment.  At  one  time  I  was  placed  upon  a  horse  with- 
out a  saddle,  but,  finding  the  motion  insupportable,  I  sprang  off.  Supported  partly 
by  my  kind  conductor,  Black  Partridge,  and  partly  by  another  Indian,  Peesotum, 
who  held  dangling  in  his  hand  a  scalp,  which  by  the  black  ribbon  around  the  queue 
I  recognized  as  that  of  Captain  Wells,  I  dragged  my  fainting  steps  to  one  of  the 
wigwams. 

"The  wife  of  a  chief  was  standing  near,  and,  seeing  my  exhausted  condition, 
she  seized  a  kettle,  dipped  up  some  water  from  a  stream  that  flowed  near  [along 
the  present  State  Street],  threw  into  it  some  maple  sugar,  and,  stirring  it  up  with 
her  hand,  gave  it  to  me  to  drink.  This  act  of  kindness,  in  the  midst  of  so  many 
horrors,  touched  me  most  sensibly."  15 

is  Wau-Bun  (C.),  p.  175. 


86  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

THE     SURRENDER 

The  terms  on  which  Captain  Heald  surrendered  were  that  the  lives  of  those 
who  still  survived  should  be  spared,  which  the  Indians  promised  they  would  do.18 
The  soldiers  then  delivered  up  their  arms  and  were  taken  back  to  the  Indian  en- 
campment near  the  fort,  where  the  prisoners  were  distributed  among  the  different 
tribes.  Captain  Heald  relates:  "The  next  morning  they  [the  Indians]  set  fire 
to  the  fort,  and  left  the  place,  taking  the  prisoners  with  them.  Their  number  of 
warriors  was  between  four  and  five  hundred,  mostly  of  the  Pottawattomie  nation; 
and  their  loss,  from  the  best  information  I  could  get,  was  about  fifteen.  Our 
strength  was  fifty-four  regulars  and  twelve  militia,  out  of  which  twenty-six  reg- 
ulars and  all  the  militia  were  killed  in  the  action,  with  two  women  and  twelve 
children.  .  .  .  Lieutenant  Linai  T.  Helm,  with  twenty-five  non-commissioned 
officers  and  privates,  and  eleven  women  and  children,  were  prisoners  when  we 
separated."  17 

THE    ABANDONED    FORT 

"The  fort  had  become  a  scene  of  plunder  to  such  as  remained  after  the  troops 
marched  out,"  writes  Mrs.  Helm  in  her  narrative.  "The  cattle  had  been  shot 
down  as  they  ran  at  large,  and  lay  dead  or  dying  around.  This  work  of  butchery 
had  commenced  just  as  we  were  leaving  the  fort.  I  well  remembered  a  remark  of 
Ensign  Ronan,  as  the  firing  went  on.  'Such,'  turning  to  me,  'is  to  be  our  fate— to 
be  shot  down  like  brutes.'  " 

The  day  following  the  massacre  the  Indians  set  fire  to  the  fort  and  Agency 
building,  and  they  were  burned  to  the  ground.  A  distribution  of  the  plunder 
had  been  made  and  the  savages  arrayed  themselves  in  shawls,  ribbons  and  finery; 
and  soon  after  they  scattered,  some  to  their  villages,  and  some  to  join  a  party  in- 
tending to  capture  Fort  Wayne,  though  this  enterprise  was  foiled  by  the  timely 
arrival  of  General  Harrison  with  troops  from  Kentucky  and  Ohio.18 

Recalling  the  events  of  the  massacre  and  surrender  in  later  years,  Captain 
Heald  said  that  while  he  had  no  confidence  in  the  promises  of  the  Indians,  he  felt 
that  he  had  done  the  best  he  could,  that  in  fifteen  minutes  more  the  last  man  would 
have  been  killed,  surrounded  as  they  were  by  ten  times  as  many  Indians  as  there 
were  soldiers,  and  that  they  had  no  chance  at  all.19  It  has  been  said  that  had 
Captain  Heald,  after  having  .received  the  order  from  General  Hull  to  evacuate  the 
fort,  done  so  at  once,  instead  of  delaying  more  than  a  week,  holding  councils  with 
the  Indians  and  debating  the  matter  with  his  officers,  he  might  have  reached  Fort 
Wayne  in  safety,  where  he  could  have  joined  his  forces  with  those  arriving  from 
the  south.  The  report  had  spread  among  the  Indians  that  supplies  were  to  be 
distributed,  and  their  number  was  increasing  every  day.  We  have  seen  that  Win- 
nemeg  strongly  urged  prompt  action  if  a  retreat  was  to  be  made,  and  John  Kinzie 
added  his  advice  to  the  same  effect. 

16Kirkland's  "Chicago  Massacre,"  p.  iSi. 
"Hurlbut:  "Chicago  Antiquities,"  p.  178. 
18  Mason:     "Chapters  from  Illinois  History,"   p.   321. 
19Kirkland's  "Chicago  Massacre,"  p.  33. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  87 

On  the  other  hand  it  was  pointed  out  to  Captain  Heald  that  it  was  safer  to 
remain  in  the  fort  and  withstand  'a  siege  if  necessary.  This  is  what  Captain  Wells 
evidently  would  have  advised  had  he  arrived  before  the  ammunition  and  liquors 
were  destroyed,  as  he  made  the  journey  from  Fort  Wayne  to  warn  Captain  Heald 
against  leaving  the  fort.  But  General  Hull's  order  to  evacuate  the  post  left  Cap- 
tain Heald  no  discretion  in  the  matter,  as  will  appear  further  on  in  this  chapter. 

"That  the  fort  could  have  been  held  for  any  length  of  time  against  the  Indians," 
says  Andreas,  "is  altogether  doubtful.  ...  A  thousand  hostile  warriors 
would  have  beleaguered  it  within  a  very  few  days,  as  they  did  Fort  Wayne  shortly 
after,  and  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  General  Harrison  to  have  relieved 
both  places.  Without  such  relief  it  must  have  fallen.  .  .  .  But  the  probabili- 
ties are,"  continues  Andreas,  "that  no  course  whatever  could  have  saved  the  ill- 
fated  garrison.  War  was  declared,  the  Indians  were  aroused  and  allied  with  the 
British.  Certain  ones  had  friendships  with  the  Americans,  and  did  what  could 
be  done  to  save  individuals,  but  they  had  no  friendship  for  the  United  States. 
Tecumseh  was  using  all  the  influence  of  his  powerful  name  to  consolidate  the  Indian 
tribes  in  the  British  interest.  The  fall  of  Mackinac  and  the  peril  of  Detroit  showed 
the  Indians  that  England  was  the  stronger  power.  With  all  these  forces  at  work, 
the  fall  of  Fort  Dearborn,  and  the  destruction  of  the  garrison,  were  apparently 
but  a  matter  of  time."  In  fact  the  fall  of  Detroit  followed  quickly  after  the 
massacre  at  Fort  Dearborn,  as  it  was  surrendered  to  the  British  on  the  16th  with 
over  two  thousand  troops.20 

SURVIVORS    OF    THE    MASSACRE 

Captain  Heald  and  his  wife  were  taken  to  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph  River 
and  remained  there  with  a  trader  until  they  had  somewhat  recovered  from  their 
wounds.  They  then  went  to  Mackinac,  where  Captain  Heald  gave  himself  up  to 
the  British  commandant,  who  treated  him  with  every  consideration  and  even  offered 
his  purse.  He  was  released  on  his  parole  of  honor,  and  with  his  wife  proceeded 
to  Pittsburg  and  eventually  to  the  home  of  Mrs.  Heald's  father,  Samuel  Wells,  at 
Louisville,  Kentucky. 

Although  by  the  terms  of  the  surrender  the  lives  of  the  prisoners  -were  to  have 
been  spared,21  the  Indians  considered  that  the  wounded  did  not  share  in  this 
stipulation,  and  they  were  quickly  doomed  to  torture  and  death.  Captain  Heald 
was  taken  prisoner  by  an  Indian  from  the  Kankakee,  who  had  a  strong  personal 
regard  for  him,  and  who  soon  after  released  him.  Lieutenant  Helm  was  among  the 
wounded,  but  had  the  good  fortune  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  some  friendly  Indians, 
and  having  been  taken  to  Peoria,  was  liberated  through  the  intervention  of  Mr. 
Thomas  Forsyth,  the  half-brother  of  Mr.  Kinzie.  Mrs.  Helm,  as  we  have  related, 
was  made  a  prisoner  by  Black  Partridge,  and  was  brought  to  the  house  of  Mr. 
Kinzie  after  the  party  in  the  boat  had  returned  to  it. 

The  soldiers  and  others,  some  of  them  accompanied  by  their  wives  and  children 
who  had 'escaped  the  massacre,  were  dispersed  among  the  different  villages  of  the 
Pottawattomies,  where  such  of  them  as  survived  remained  until  the  following  spring, 

20Winsor's  "Narrative  and  Critical  History  of  America:"  Vol.  VII,  p.  384. 
21  Hurlbut's   "Chicago  Antiquities,"   p.   178. 


88  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

when,  through  the  rather  tardy  efforts  of  the  British  authorities,  spurred  on  by 
considerations  of  humanity,  they  were  gathered  at  the  St.  Joseph  river,  and  ran- 
somed.22 But  their  number  was  sadly  reduced  during  their  nine  months  of  cap- 
tivity among  the  Indians,  as  the  British  agent  having  the  work  of  collecting  them 
in  charge  reported  only  "seventeen  soldiers,  four  women  and  some  children." 
It  will  be  remembered  that  Captain  Heald,  in  his  report  of  the  massacre,  said  that 
"Lieutenant  Helm  with  twenty-five  non-commissioned  officers  and  privates,  and 
eleven  women  and  children  were  prisoners  when  we  separated."  -'•'•  Being  now  in 
possession  of  the  British,  the  captives  were  taken  to  Detroit  as  prisoners  of  war. 
There  were  several  survivors  not  included  among  those  whom  the  British  agent, 
Robert  Dickson,  had  been  able  to  find  among  the  Indian  tribes  at  that  time.24 

John  Burns,  who  lived  near  the  Kinzies,  with  his  wife  and  infant  child  was 
with  the  troops  when  they  left  the  fort,  and  Burns  was  among  the  killed.  Mrs. 
Burns,  with  her  child,  became  the  prisoner  of  a  chief  who  carried  her  and  her 
child  to  his  village,  and  treated  them  with  kindness.  The  child,  a  girl,  grew  up 
to  womanhood,  and  many  years  later  was  seen  and  conversed  with  by  the  author  of 
"Wau-Bun,"  while  traveling  to  Chicago  on  a  steamer. 

The  family  of  Mr.  Lee  had  resided  in  a  house  on  the  shore  of  the  lake,  not 
far  from  the  fort.  Mr.  Lee  was  the  owner  of  "Lee's  Place,"  a  farm  up  the  South 
Branch,  where  two  men  were  killed  by  wandering  Indians  in  the  previous  April,  as 
has  been  previously  related.  He  and  his  family  had  joined  the  procession  of  death 
on  the  fatal  day  of  the  massacre.  His  family  consisted  of  his  wife  and  her  young 
infant,  a  daughter  twelve  years  old,  and  a  son  somewhat  older,  the  same  who, 
with  the  discharged  soldier,  had  run  all  the  way  from  the  farm  to  the  fort  to  notify 
the  garrison  of  the  visit  of  the  hostile  Indians.  The  father,  son  and  daughter  fell 
victims  at  the  massacre,  while  Mrs.  Lee  and  her  infant  were  taken  by  Black  Part- 
ridge, that  knightly  rescuer  of  women,  and  carried  to  his  village  on  the  Au  Sable. 
"He  was  in  no  hurry  to  release  her,"  writes  the  author  of  "Wau-Bun,"  "for  he  was 
in  hopes  of  prevailing  on  her  to  become  his  wife."  In  the  course  of  the  winter 
the  child  fell  ill,  and  the  anxious  chief  wrapped  it  up  with  the  greatest  care,  and 
himself  started  off  for  Chicago  with  it  in  his  arms.  There  was  now  a  French  trader 
by  the  name  of  M.  Du  Pin,  who  had  taken  up  his  residence  in  the  Kinzie  house 
since  the  departure  of  the  Kinzies,  the  particulars  of  which  will  be  presently  related. 

The  child  was  soon  placed  on  the  road  to  recovery  through  the  remedies  pre- 
scribed by  M.  Du  Pin,  and  when  about  to  return  to  his  village  the  chief  confided 
to  the  trader  his  proposal  to  Mrs.  Lee  to  become  his  wife,  and  the  manner  in  which 
it  had  been  received.  M.  Du  Pin  at  once  entered  into  negotiations  with  the  chief 
for  the  ransom  of  the  captive  widow,  and  succeeded  in  obtaining  his  consent  to 
bring  his  prisoner  to  Chicago.  "Whether  the  kind  trader  had  at  the  outset  any 
other  feeling  in  the  matter  than  sympathy  and  brotherly  kindness  we  cannot  say," 
writes  the  author  of  "Wau-Bun";  "we  only  know  that  in  process  of  time  Mrs.  Lee 

22  Mason:     "Chapters   from  Illinois   History,"   p.   320. 

23  Kirkland.     "Chicago  Massacre,"  p.  119. 

24  See  the  story  of  Peter  Bell,    (Mason,  "Chapters  from  Illinois  History,"  p.   320);   and  of 
Sergeant  Griffith   (Wau-Bun,  Caxton  Ed.,  p.  185)  ;  and  of  Walter  Jordan   (Kirkland's  "Chicago 
Massacre,"  p.  117). 


Prom  "Narrative  of  the  Massacre  at  Chicago" 
by  .Mrs.  John  H.  Kinzie 


CHICAGO  IX  1812 

Drawn  by  George  Davis.  "The 
Sweet  Singer  of  St.  James'  church." 
By  courtesy  of  Chicago  Historical 
Society. 


By  permission  of  E.  O.  Gale  and  the  Chicago  Historical  Society 


HARDSCRAHBLE 

The  piece  of  cultivated  land  called  Hardscrabble  was  owned  by  a  man  named 
I>ee.  and  was  four  miles  away  from  the  fort  on  the  west  side  of  the  south  fork 
of  the  South  Branch.  Hardscrabble  was  attacked  by  the  Indians  four  months 
before  the  massacre. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  89 

became  Madame  Du  Pin,  and  that  they  lived  together  in  great  happiness  for  many 
years  after." 


THE     PERIL    OF    THE    KINZIES 


The  afternoon  of  the  day  of  the  massacre  witnessed  the  assemblage  of  a  com- 
pany under  the  roof  of  the  Kinzie  mansion,  gathered  together  after  a  day  of  ex- 
citement, bloodshed  and  distress  seldom  experienced  in  the  lives  of  civilized  people. 
Across  the  river  could  be  seen  the  wild  antics  of  the  victorious  savages  shouting 
and  dancing  exultantly  in  their  camp,  ransacking  and  plundering  the  buildings  of 
the  fort,  and  preparing  to  torture  their  wounded  prisoners  to  death.25 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  Kinzie  family  were  closely  guarded  by  their 
Indian  friends,  that  Black  Partridge  and  four  other  Indians  had  "established  them- 
selves in  the  porch  of  the  building  as  sentinels,  to  protect  the  family  from  any 
evil  that  the  young  men  (of  the  tribes)  might  be  excited  to  commit,"  2G  their  peril 
was  very  great  and  their  lives  hung  by  a  thread.  All  remained  tranquil,  however, 
until  the  next  day,  when  they  beheld  the  fort  consumed  by  fire,  and  the  spot  left 
a  scene  of  smoking  desolation. 

At  this  time  a  party  of  Indians  from  the  Wabash  made  their  appearance,  hav- 
ing heard  of  the  intended  evacuation  of  the  post,  and  who  were  eager  to  share 
in  the  spoils.  They  were  disappointed  and  enraged  to  find  that  they  had  arrived 
too  late,  that  the  spoils  had  been  divided  and  the  scalps  all  taken.  They  had  no 
particular  regard  for  Mr.  Kinzie  and  they  at  once  showed  signs  of  hostility.  They 
blackened  their  faces  and  proceeded  towards  the  Kinzie  house,  but  were  observed 
by  Black  Partridge,  whose  fears  were  particularly  awakened  for  the  safety  of  Mrs. 
Helm,  as  she  had  only  recently  come  to  the  post  and  was  unknown  to  the  more 
remote  Indians.  By  his  directions  she  disguised  herself  and  took  refuge  in  the 
house  of  Ouilmette  close  at  hand.  Ouilmette  himself,  being  a  Frenchman,  and  liv- 
ing with  an  Indian  wife,  was  never  molested  by  the  Indians  at  any  time,  being 
regarded  as  one  of  themselves.  In  the  same  house  was  his  wife's  sister,  also  an 
Indian  woman,  but  known  as  Mrs.  Bisson. 

The  Indians  approached  this  house  first,  and  Mrs.  Bisson  hastily  covered  Mrs. 
Helm  with  a  feather  bed,  fearing  that  her  fair  complexion  would  betray  her.  Mrs. 
Bisson  then  sat  on  the  front  of  the  bed  and  busied  herself  with  her  sewing.  The 
Indians  entered  and  inspected  every  part  of  the  room,  omitting,  however,  to  raise 
the  feather  mattress  under  which  Mrs.  Helm  was  concealed.  Mrs.  Bisson  was 
not  without  fear  for  her  own  safety,  but  bravely  maintained  an  air  of  tranquillity, 
until  the  Indians  left  the  house 

From  Ouilmette's  house  the  party  of  Indians  went  to  the  Kinzie  dwelling,  and 
entering  the  parlor,  seated  themselves  on  the  floor  in  ominous  silence.  Black 
Partridge  then  spoke  in  a  low  tone  to  Wau-ban-see,  who  was  with  him  as  one  of 
the  guards,  and  said,  "We  have  endeavored  to  save  our  friends,  but  it  is  in  vain— 
nothing  will  save  them  now."  Just  at  that  moment  a  friendly  whoop  was  heard 
from  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river,  and  Black  Partridge,  with  great  presence  of 
mind,  sprang  up  and  ran  toward  the  river,  calling  out  "who  are  you?"  "I  am  the 

25  Kirkland's  "Chicago  Massacre,"  p.  97. 
26Wau-Bun    (Caxton   Ed.),   p.   181. 


90  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

Sau-gan-ash,"  came  the  reply.  "Then  make  all  speed  to  the  house,"  replied  Black 
Partridge,  "your  friend  is  in  danger,  and  you  alone  can  save  him." 

Sau-gan-ash,  otherwise  known  as  Billy  Caldwell,  was  a  half-breed,  and  had 
been  educated  at  Detroit  by  the  Jesuits.  The  name  Sau-gan-ash  signified  "Eng- 
lishman," but  came  to  be  applied  distinctively  to  this  man.  He  could  speak  Eng- 
lish perfectly,  and  was  a  man  of  great  influence  among  the  Indians.  Although  he 
had  not  been  present  at  the  evacuation  of  the  fort,  he,  in  company  with  Shabonee, 
or  Shabbona,  had  arrived  the  next  day,  and  had  saved  many  of  the  prisoners  from 
being  murdered.27 

Upon  his  arrival  at  the  Kinzie  house,  he  calmly  entered  the  room,  and  stand- 
ing his  rifle  behind  the  door,  he  looked  around  at  the  hostile  savages  sitting  on 
the  floor.  He  asked  them  why  they  had  blackened  their  faces.  "Is  it  that  you  are 
mourning  for  the  friends  you  have  lost  in  battle?"  (purposely  misunderstanding 
their  evil  designs.)  "Or  is  it,"  said  he,  "that  you  are  fasting?  If  so,  ask  our 
friend  here,  and  he  will  give  you  to  eat.  He  is  the  Indian's  friend,  and  never  yet 
refused  them  what  they  had  need  of." 

The  savages  were  thus  taken  by  surprise,  and  were  ashamed  to  acknowledge 
the  purpose  they  had  in  their  minds.  They  then  said  that  they  had  come  to  beg 
of  their  friends  some  white  cotton  cloth  in  which  they  might  wrap  their  dead  before 
placing  them  in  their  graves.  Their  request  was  promptly  granted  and  some  other 
presents  given  to  them,  and  they  took  their  departure  peaceably  from  the  house. 

This  account  is  taken  mainly  from  Mrs.  Kinzie's  narrative  printed  in  "Wau- 
Bun,"  which  was  obtained  by  her  from  her  husband,  John  H.  Kinzie,  who  as  a  boy 
of  nine  years  of  age,  was  with  his  father,  John  Kinzie,  through  this  thrilling  ex- 
perience. Mrs.  Kinzie's  narrative  "has  been  accepted  by  the  historians  of  Illinois," 
says  Thwaites  in  his  introduction  to  "Wau-Bun"  (Caxton  Club  Edition),  "as  sub- 
stantially accurate,  and  other  existing  accounts  are  generally  based  on  this." 

It  is  noteworthy  that  the  main  sources  of  our  information  in  regard  to  the 
massacre  are  furnished  by  three  women,  Mrs.  Captain  Heald  and  Mrs.  Lieutenant 
Helm,  who  were  participants  in  the  dreadful  scenes  of  that  day,  and  Mrs.  John 
H.  Kinzie,  who  wrote  of  it  twenty-five  years  later,  deriving  her  information  from 
eye  witnesses. 

There  are  likewise  other  accounts  of  a  fragmentary  character,  and  among  them 
there  are  inconsistencies  and  discrepancies  in  details;  but  it  seems  remarkable  that 
women  chroniclers  should  have  been  the  ones  to  have  given  anything  like  a  con- 
nected narrative  of  this  bloody  episode  in  our  history. 

BLACK    HAWK'S   RECOLLECTION 

I 

We  are  fortunate  in  having  an  Indian's  comment  upon  the  massacre.  In  the 
"Autobiography"  of  Black  Hawk,  the  celebrated  Indian  chief,  which  he  dictated 
in  1833  to  the  interpreter,  Antoine  Le  Clair,  he  relates  the  circumstances  of  his 
joining  the  British  army  in  the  early  part  of  the  War  of  1812.  He  was  at  Green 
Bay  with  his  band,  and  there  met  Colonel  Robert  Dickson,  the  British  agent,  who 
persuaded  him  to  join  their  side.  Arms  and  ammunition,  together  with  other  sup- 

27  Fergus'  Hist.  Series,   No.  10,  p.   31. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  91 

plies,  were  freely  distributed,  and,  as  Black  Hawk  relates,  he  started  with  about 
five  hundred  braves  towards  Detroit,  accompanied  by  Colonel  Dickson. 

"We  passed  Chicago,"  continues  Black  Hawk  in  his  narrative,  "and  observed 
that  the  fort  had  been  evacuated  by  the  Americans,  and  their  soldiers  had  gone 
to  Fort  Wayne.  They  were  attacked  a  short  distance  from  the  fort  and  defeated. 
They  had  a  considerable  quantity  of  powder  in  the  fort  at  Chicago,  which  they  had 
promised  to  the  Indians,  but  the  night  before  they  marched  away  they  destroyed 
it  by  throwing  it  into  a  well.  If  they  had  fulfilled  their  word  to  the  Indians,  they 
doubtless  would  have  gone  to  Fort  Wayne  without  molestation." 

SERGEANT  GRIFFITH'S  ADVENTURE 

William  Griffith,  a  non-commissioned  officer,  made  his  escape  from  the  massacre 
which  overtook  the  main  body  of  the  troops  on  that  fatal  day,  in  a  singular  manner. 
"As  the  troops  were  about  leaving  the  fort,"  relates  Mrs.  Kinzie,  "it  was  found 
that  the  baggage-horses  of  the  surgeon  had  strayed  off.  The  quartermaster-ser- 
geant, Griffith,  was  sent  to  collect  them  and  bring  them  on,  it  being  absolutely 
necessary  to  recover  them,  since  their  packs  contained  part  of  the  surgeon's  ap- 
paratus, and  the  medicines  for  the  march. 

"This  man  had  been  for  a  long  time  on  the  sick  report,  and  for  this  reason 
was  given  the  charge  of  the  baggage  instead  of  being  placed  with  the  troops.  His 
efforts  to  recover  the  horses  being  unsuccessful,  he  was  hastening  to  rejoin  his 
party,  alarmed  at  some  appearances  of  disorder  and  hostile  indications  among  the 
Indians,  when  he  was  met  and  made  prisoner  by  To-pee-ne-be.  Having  taken 
from  him  his  arms  and  accoutrements,  the  chief  put  him  into  a  canoe  and  paddled 
him  across  the  river,  bidding  him  make  for  the  woods  and  secrete  himself.  This 
he  did,  and  the  following  day,  in  the  afternoon,  seeing,  from  his  lurking  place,  that 
all  appeared  quiet,  he  ventured  to  steal  cautiously  into  the  garden  of  Ouilmette, 
where  he  concealed  himself  for  a  time  behind  some  currant  bushes. 

"At  length  he  determined  to  enter  the  house,  and  accordingly  climbed  up 
through  a  small  back  window,  into  the  room  where  the  family  were.  This  was 
just  as  the  Wabash  Indians  left  the  house  of  Ouilmette  for  that  of  Mr.  Kinzie.  The 
danger  of  the  sergeant  was  now  imminent.  The  family  stripped  him  of  his  uniform 
and  arrayed  him  in  a  suit  of  deer-skin,  with  belt,  moccassins,  and  pipe,  like  a 
French  engage.  His  dark  complexion  and  large  black  whiskers  favored  the  dis- 
guise. The  family  were  all  ordered  to  address  him  in  French,  and,  although  utterly 
ignorant  of  the  language,  he  continued  to  pass  for  a  Weem-tee-gosh  (Frenchman), 
and  as  such  to  accompany  Mr.  Kinzie  and  his  family,  undetected  by  his  enemies, 
until  thej'  reached  a  place  of  safety." 

William  Griffith  afterwards  became  "a  Captain  of  Spies"  in  General  Harrison's 
army,  and  participated  in  the  battle  of  the  Thames  in  the  following  year.28 

THK    RANSOM    OF   LIEUTENANT   HELM 

The  service  performed  by  Thomas  Forsyth,  the  half  brother  of  John  Kinzie, 
in  behalf  of  the  unfortunate  prisoners  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians,  deserves  to  be 

28  Andreas,    "Hist.    Chicago,"    I,    p.   83. 


92  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

recorded.  Forsyth  was  at  that  time  Indian  Agent  at  Peoria,  and  had  a  great  in- 
fluence with  the  Pottawattomies.  "He  had  been  raised  with  this  nation,"  says 
Reynolds,  "spoke  their  language  well,  and  was  well  acquainted  with  their  char- 
acter." When  Mr.  Forsyth  heard  of  the  massacre  of  the  troops  at  Chicago,  he  went 
directly  to  the  Indian  towns  on  the  Illinois  River,  where  he  knew  it  was  likely 
that  prisoners  would  be  taken.  He  found  Lieutenant  Helm  at  the  Au  Sable, 
near  Peoria,  with  the  Indians  there,  and  exerted  his  influence  with  his  captors  to 
procure  his  release.  He  advanced  the  amount  demanded  by  the  Indians  for  his 
ransom  and  had  him  sent  in  safety  to  St.  Louis.  In  this  important  and  dangerous 
service  Forsyth  risked  his  life  every  moment  he  was  engaged  in  it,  for  the  Indians  at 
that  time  were  in  a  highly  inflamed  condition.  He  was  in  extreme  and  imminent 
danger  during  a  great  portion  of  the  war,  and  it  required  the  exercise  of  the  utmost 
sagacity  and  discretion  to  retain  the  confidence  of  the  Indians.  "His  services  in 
the  war,"  says  Reynolds,  "and  his  benevolent  and  humane  conduct  to  the  wounded 
and  distressed  prisoners  on  the  Illinois  River  deserve  the  lasting  gratitude  and 
esteem  of  the  Government,  as  well  as  those  whose  sufferings  he  so  kindly  relieved." 

STORY    OF    JOHN    COOPER'S    FAMILY 

John  Cooper  was  "Surgeon's  Mate"  at  Fort  Dearborn,  and  with  him  was  pres- 
ent his  wife,  and  two  young  daughters,  Isabella  being  the  eldest.  Cooper  was 
among  the  killed  at  the  massacre  of  the  troops,  and  as  soon  as  the  soldiers  were 
disposed  of  the  Indians  made  a  rush  for  the  wagons  where  the  women  and  children 
were.  The  wife  and  youngest  daughter  were  spared  and  the  Indians  carried  them 
away,  but  a  young  Indian  boy,  in  attempting  to  carry  off  Isabella,  met  with  so  warm 
a  resistance  on  her  part  that  he  threw  her  down  and  scalped  her,  and  would  have 
killed  her  if  an  old  squaw  had  not  prevented  him.  The  squaw  had  known  the  Cooper 
family  when  they  lived  at  the  fort,  and  she  took  the  mother  and  daughters  to  her 
wigwam,  and  cured  the  girl  of  her  wound.  The  family  remained  in  captivity  two 
years,  when  they  were  finally  ransomed,  and  afterwards  lived  in  Detroit  for  many 
years.  The  mark  of  the  wound  on  her  head  caused  by  the  Indian  boy's  scalping 
knife  "was  about  the  size  of  a  silver  dollar,  and  of  course  remained  with  her 
through  her  life."  29 

RETRIBUTION 

After  the  battle  and  burning  of  the  fort  the  Pottawattomies  scattered,  and 
some  of  them  joined  other  bands  of  hostile  Indians  in  the  siege  of  Fort  Wayne 
which  immediately  followed.  Here  they  were  foiled  by  the  timely  arrival  of  Gen- 
eral Harrison  with  a  force  of  Kentucky  and  Ohio  troops,  and  "condign  punishment 
was  inflicted  upon  a  part  at  least  of  the  Chicago  murderers,"  says  Mason,  in  his 
account  of  the  massacre.  "A  detachment  which  General  Harrison  assigned  to  this 
work  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Samuel  Wells,  who  must  have  remembered  his 
brother's  death  when  he  destroyed  the  village  of  Five  Medals,  a  leading  Potta- 
wattomie  chief.  To  one  of  the  ruthless  demons  who  slew  women  and  children  under 
the  branches  of  the  cottonwood  tree,  such  an  appropriate  vengeance  came  that  it 

29  Reminiscence  of  A.  H.  Edwards,  printed  in  Fergus'  "Historical  Series,"  No.  16,  pp.  56,  58. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  93 

seems  fitting  to  tell  the  story  here.  He  was  older  than  most  of  the  band,  a  partici- 
pant in  many  battles,  and  a  deadly  enemy  of  the  whites.  His  scanty  hair  was 
drawn  tightly  upward  and  tied  with  a  string,  making  a  tuft  on  the  top  of  his  head; 
and  from  this  peculiarity  he  was  known  as  Chief  Shavehead. 

"Years  after  the  Chicago  massacre  he  was  a  hunter  in  Western  Michigan,  and 
when  in  liquor  was  fond  of  boasting  of  his  achievements  on  the  warpath.  On  one 
of  these  occasions  in  the  streets  of  a  little  village,  he  told  the  fearful  tale  of  his 
doings  on  this  field  with  all  its  horrors ;  but  among  his  hearers  there  chanced  to 
be  a  soldier  of  the  garrison  of  Fort  Dearborn,  one  of  the  few  survivors  of  that 
fatal  day.  As  he  listened  he  saw  that  frightful  scene  again,  and  was  maddened 
by  its  recall.  At  sundown  the  old  brave  left  the  settlement,  and  silently  on  his 
trail  the  soldier  came,  'with  his  gun,'  says  the  account,  'resting  in  the  hollow  of  his 
left  arm,  and  the  right  hand  clasped  around  the  lock,  with  fore-finger  carelessly 
toying  with  the  trigger.'  The  red  man  and  the  white  passed  into  the  shade  of  the 
forest;  the  soldier  returned  alone;  Chief  Shavehead  was  never  seen  again.  He  had 
paid  the  penalty  of  his  crime  to  one  who  could,  with  some  fitness,  exact  it.  Such 
was  the  fate  of  a  chief  actor  in  that  dark  scene."30 

THE    DEPARTURE    OF    THE    KINZIES 

"On  the  third  day  after  the  battle,"  says  Mrs.  Helm,  "the  family  of  Mr.  Kinzie, 
with  the  clerks  of  the  establishment,  were  put  into  a  boat,  under  the  care  of 
Francois,  a  half-breed  interpreter,  and  conveyed  to  St.  Joseph's,  where  they  re- 
mained until  the  following  November,  under  the  protection  of  Topenebe's  band." 
The  lake  at  this  season  of  the  year  is  usually  free  from  storms,  and  open-boat 
navigation  was  attended  with  little  risk  or  discomfort,  so  the  voyage  was  easily 
made.  The  only  persons  left  at  Chicago  were  Ouilmette  and  his  family,  who  re- 
mained there  until  the  post  was  again  occupied  four  years  later.  M.  Du  Pin,  a 
French  trader,  occupied  the  house  vacated  by  John  Kinzie  and  his  family,  in  the 
following  winter,  and  later  became  the  husband  of  the  widowed  Mrs.  Lee,  as 
referred  to  previously. 

CAPTIVITY     OF     JOHN      KINZIE 

After  their  stay  at  St.  Joseph,  the  family  of  John  Kinzie  were  conducted  to 
Detroit  under  the  escort  of  the  half-breed  Chandonnais,  and  a  trusty  Indian  named 
Kee-po-tah;  and  delivered  up  as  prisoners  of  war  to  the  British  agent  there;  while 
Mr.  Kinzie  himself  remained  at  St.  Joseph  to  look  after  some  remnant  of  his 
scattered  property.  In  the  following  January  he  followed  his  family  to  Detroit, 
where  he  was  paroled  by  the  British  commandant.31  Soon  after,  however,  he  was 
ordered  into  confinement  because  of  a  suspicion  that  he  was  in  correspondence 
with  General  Harrison,  then  believed  to  be  meditating  an  advance  on  Detroit. 
He  was  detained  at  Fort  Maiden  in  Canada,  where  in  the  following  September  he 
heard  the  booming  of  cannon  fired  during  the  engagement  on  Lake  Erie  between 
the  American  and  British  fleets.  Soon  a  vessel  bearing  the  British  colors  ap- 
peared in  view  from  the  fort  pursued  by  two  American  gunboats,  and  presently 

30  Mason.     "Chapters  From   Illinois  History,"  p.   321. 

31  Wau-Bun   (Caxton  Ed.),  p.  186. 


94  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

he  saw  the  former  strike  her  flag.  It  was  the  last  scene  in  the  memorable  naval 
conflict  known  as  "Perry's  Victory,"  fought  and  won  September  10,  1813. 

The  destruction  or  capture  of  the  enemy's  fleet  on  Lake  Erie  enabled  General 
Harrison  to  cross  the  lake  with  his  army  from  the  field  of  its  previous  operations 
in  Ohio,  without  further  molestation.3-  Soon  after,  the  battle  of  the  Thames  was 
fought,  where  the  British  and  their  Indian  allies  were  defeated,  and  Tecumseh, 
the  Indian  chief,  was  killed.  Detroit  was  evacuated  by  the  British  and  thus 
again  that  post,  surrendered  within  two  months  after  the  opening  of  the  war,  came 
into  the  possession  of  the  Americans. 

When  the  situation  at  Detroit  had  become  alarming,  the  British  found  it 
necessary  to  transfer  all  prisoners  to  a  place  of  greater  security,  and  Mr.  Kinzie 
was  sent  to  Quebec.  There  "he  was  put  on  board  a  small  vessel  to  be  sent  to 
England.  The  vessel  when  a  few  days  out  at  sea  was  chased  by  an  American 
frigate  and  driven  into  Halifax."  "The  attempt  to  send  him  across  the  ocean 
was  now  abandoned,  and  he  was  returned  to  Quebec,"  and  soon  after  he  was 
released.  He  now  returned  to  his  family,  who  had  remained  at  Detroit.  An  in- 
teresting episode  in  the  life  of  the  Kinzie  family  occurred  upon  the  arrival  of  Gen- 
eral Harrison,  after  the  place  had  been  evacuated  by  the  British.  Mrs.  Kinzie, 
in  "Wau-Bun,"  relates  as  follows:  "In  the  meantime,  General  Harrison  at  the 
head  of  his  troops  had  reached  Detroit.  He  landed  on  the  29th  of  September. 
All  the  citizens  went  forth  to  meet  him;  Mrs.  Kinzie,  leading  her  children  by  the 
hand,  was  of  the  number.  The  General  accompanied  her  to  her  home,  and  took 
up  his  abode  there.  On  his  arrival  he  was  introduced  to  Kee-po-tah.  who  hap- 
pened to  be  on  a  visit  to  the  family  at  that  time.  The  General  had  seen  the  chief 
the  preceding  year,  at  the  Council  at  Vincennes,  and  the  meeting  was  one  of  great 
cordiality  and  interest." 

The  war  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  was  terminated  by  the 
Treaty  of  Ghent,  concluded,  December  24,  1814,  providing  "for  the  mutual  restora- 
tion of  all  places  taken  during  the  war,"  33  The  lives  of  30,000  Americans  were 
sacrificed  during  this  war  of  two  and  a  half  years,  and  the  national  debt  was  in- 
creased over  one  hundred  millions  of  dollars.34 


CAPTAIN      HEALD  S     ORDERS 

The  orders  to  Captain  Heald  are  stated  in  the  "Wau-Bun"  account,  which  we 
have  quoted,  to  have  been,  "to  evacuate  the  fort,  if  practicable,  and  in  that  eventj 
to  distribute  all  the  United  States'  property,"  etc.  Evidently  Mrs.  Kinzie  had 
never  seen  the  order  sent  by  General  Hull  when  she  wrote  this,  and  used  the  lan- 
guage of  those  from  whom  she  derived  her  information,  as  the}'  recollected  it. 

It  will  appear,  however,  in  the  following  paragraphs,  that  Captain  Heald 
had  been  given  no  discretion  whatever  in  the  matter,  as  implied  in  the  above.  We 
shall  quote  from  a  manuscript  .account  written  by  Captain  Heald  (probably  later 
in  life),  now  preserved  in  the  Draper  Collection  of  Manuscripts  in  the  possession 

s2  James  and  Sanford's  "American  History,"  p.  262. 

33  Patton  &  Lord's  "History  of  the  American  People,"  Vol.  II,  p.  683. 

34  Larned's   "Seventy   Centuries,"  Vol.   II,   p.   369. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  95 

of  the  Wisconsin  State  Historical  Society.  He  says:  "On  the  9th  of  August  [Mrs. 
Kinzie  says  it  was  the  7th  of  August],  1812  rec'd  orders  from  General  Win. 
Hull  to  Evacuate  the  Post  of  Chicago  and  proceed  with  my  Command  to  Detroit. 
.  .  .  On  the  15th,  Marched  for  Detroit,"  35  etc.  As  will  appear  from  the 
above,  and  from  a  copy  of  the  order  given  below,  Captain  Heald  clearly  and  cor- 
rectly understood  that  no  discretion  whatever  was  given  him,  as  to  the  evacuation 
of  the  post.  It  is  also  to  be  noted  that  while  most  of  the  accounts  state  that  the 
destination  of  the  retreating  column  was  to  be  Fort  Wayne,  and  General  Hull's 
letter  likewise  mentions  Fort  Wayne,  Captain  Heald  says  it  was  Detroit.  There 
is,  however,  no  inconsistency  in  this,  as  it  was  understood,  no  doubt,  that  the  ulti- 
mate destination  was  to  be  Detroit. 

GENERAL    HULL    ORDERS   EVACUATION 

A  copy  of  General  Hull's  letter  to  Captain  Heald  is  given  below,  and  a  fac- 
simile representation  of  it  appears  on  a  separate  page.  The  original  letter  is  in 
the  Draper  Manuscript  Collection,  and  is  here  given  by  permission  of  the  Wis- 
consin State  Historical  Society.  In  a  letter  accompanying  a  photograph  of  this 
important  document  from  Mr.  R.  G.  Thwaites,  Secretary  of  the  Society,  to  the 
author,  dated  December  7,  1909,  he  says:  "We  are  quite  convinced  that  this 
letter  has  never  been  published,  nor  was  it  known  to  exist  until  its  discovery  less 
than  two  years  ago  by  one  of  my  assistants.  There  is  every  probability  that  the 
letter  came  directly  to  Dr.  Draper  from  Darius  Heald,  son  of  Major  Nathan 
Heald.  whom  Dr.  Draper  visited  in  Missouri  in  1868,  and  from  whom  he  obtained 
a  number  of  papers." 

COPY    OF    GENERAL     HULL*S     LETTER 

Tlie  letter  was  written  from  Sandwich,  Canada,  a  place  nearly  opposite  Detroit, 
where  a  part  of  the  American  army  had  been  assembled  with  a  view  of  attacking 
Fort  Maiden.  The  letter  is  as  follows: 

"Sandwich,   July    29.    1812. 
"Capt.  Nath.  Heald. 

"Sm: — It  it  with  regret  I  order  the  Evacuation  of  your  Post  owing  to  the 
want  of  provisions  only  [through]  a  neglect  of  the  Commandant  of  Detroit.  You 
will  therefore  destroy  all  arms  and  ammunition,  but  the  Goods  of  the  Factory 
you  may  give  to  the  Friendly  Indians  who  may  be  desirous  of  escorting  you  on 
to  Fort  Wayne  and  the  Poor  and  needy  of  your  Post.  I  am  informed  this  day 
that  Mackinac  and  the  Island  of  St.  Joseph  30  will  be  evacuated  on  acc't  of  the 
Scarcity  of  provisions  and  I  hope  in  my  next  to  give  you  an  acc't  of  the  Surrender 
of  the  British  at  Maiden  as  I  expect  600  more  troops  the  beginning  of  Sept.  I 
am  sir,  "Yours,  &c., 

"BRIGADIER    GEN.    HULL." 
i 

35  Draper  Manuscripts,   17  U. 

36  The  "Island  of  St.  Joseph"  is  situated  in   St.  Mary's  river,  about  forty  miles  to  the  north- 
east of  Mackinac. 


96  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

By  this  it  will  be  seen  that  the  order  sent  to  Captain  Heald  to  evacuate  the 
post  was  peremptory,  and  "the  course  to  be.  pursued"  was  not  "left  discretional," 
as  was  stated  in  the  officers'  remonstrance  in  Mrs.  Kinzie's  account. 

THE     MEMORIAL     OF    THE     MASSACRE 

The  Massacre  Monument,  which  marks  the  spot  where  the  dreadful  massacre 
of  August  15th,  1812,  took  place,  was  designed  by  Mr.  Carl  Rohl-Smith.  The 
monument  consists  of  a  bronze  group,  placed  upon  a  massive  pedestal  of  granite, 
upon  the  sides  of  which  are  bronze  panels  depicting  scenes  connected  with  the 
massacre.  It  is  situated  at  the  foot  of  Eighteenth  Street,  adjoining  the  tracks  of 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  and  was  the  gift  of  Mr.  George  M.  Pullman.  The 
action  is  spirited  and  the  incident  chosen  for  representation  has  been  executed  with 
impressive  effect.  Great  skill  has  been  shown  in  the  delineation  of  the  separate 
figures,  and  the  ensemble,  from  the  artistic  point  of  view,  is  harmonious  and  force- 
ful. 

The  Indian  figures  in  the  group  are  modeled  after  famous  Sioux  Chieftains ;  the 
scene  is  that  where  Black  Partridge  is  rescuing  Mrs.  Helm  from  death  at  the  hands 
of  a  frenzied  savage,  the  prostrate  figure  being  that  of  the  unfortunate  Dr.  Van 
Voorhis,  the  post  surgeon,  who  met  his  death  on  that  occasion.  The  child,  stretch- 
ing out  its  little  arms  in  an  appeal  for  help,  recalls  the  fiendish  massacre  of  in- 
fants which  was  one  of  the  terrible  features  of  that  bloody  day.  The  entire  group 
is  one  of  great  interest  historically. 

For  many  years  before  the  erection  of  the  monument  the  spot  was  marked 
by  a  cottonwood  tree,  which  was  one  of  a  number  of  saplings  standing  there,  as 
it  was  said,  at  the  time  of  the  massacre.  The  tree,  however,  was  removed  many 
years  ago ;  a  portion  of  the  trunk  is  preserved  and  may  now  be  seen  in  the  museum 
of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society. 

CONDITIONS    IN    ILLINOIS    TERRITORY 

Illinois  Territory  had  been  raised  to  the  "Second  Grade,"  by  act  of  Congress, 
May  21,  1812.  Since  its  organization  in  1809  as  a  territory  of  the  "First  Grade," 
the  legislative  body  had  consisted  simply  of  the  governor  and  two  judges  of  the 
territory. 

After  having  been  advanced  to  the  "Second  Grade"  the  legislative  body  con- 
sisted of  seven  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives  and  five  of  the  Council, 
together  called  the  General  Assembly,  holding  their  sessions  at  Kaskaskia.3'  The 
first  session  of  the  Assembly  was  held  November  25,  1812,  and  an  examination 
of  the  proceedings  of  this  assembly,  which  continued  its  sessions  for  one  month, 
shows  no  specific  reference  to  the  startling  events  of  the  previous  August  at  Fort 
Dearborn.38  Governor  Ninian  Edwards,  in  his  message  to  the  Assembly,  says: 
"Of  the  unfavorable  aspect  that  our  relations  with  our  savage  neighbors  have, 
for  some  time  past,  worn,  you  are  well  apprized,  and  I  am  sorry  that  I  have  nothing 
to  communicate  indicative  of  a  change  for  the  better." 

37  Moses'  Hist.  111.,  Vol.  I,  p.  258. 

38  "Territorial  Records  of  Illinois,"  p.  62. 


MASSACRE    MONTMEXT,    COMMEMORATING    THE    MASSACRE 

OF  1812 

The  monument  stands  at  the  corner  of  Eighteenth  street  and 
Prairie  avenue 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  97 

The  white  population  of  the  territory  in  1809,  had  been  estimated  to  be  about 
nine  thousand,  while  the  number  of  Indians,  who  occupied  the  larger  portion  of 
the  territory  was  supposed  to  be  about  eighteen  thousand;  so  that  if  the  Indians 
should  have  become  generally  hostile  and  united,  they  might  have  overwhelmed 
the  whites  completely.  Governor  Edwards  had  already  acted  promptly,  and  by 
his  orders  companies  of  militia,  called  "Rangers,"  39  attacked  and  destroyed  sev- 
eral Indian  villages,  without  much  regard  to  their  hostility  or  friendliness,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Peoria  Lake  and  elsewhere  during  the  following  fall  and  winter. 
The  settlers  were  so  much  exasperated  against  the  red  men  that  they  did  not  take 
much  pains  to  discriminate  between  friends  or  foes.  On  one  occasion  an  Indian 
and  his  squaw  approached  the  advance  of  Captain  Samuel  Judy's  company  of 
scouts  for  the  purpose  of  an  interview,  and  were  mercilessly  shot  down,  the  leader 
exclaiming  that  they  had  not  left  home  merely  to  take  prisoners.  "These  cam- 
paigns," says  Governor  Reynolds  in  his  history,  "did  much  good  in  checking  the 
aggressions  of  the  Indians." 

39  Reynolds'  "Pion.  Hist.  111.,"  pp.  405,  407. 


Vol.  I-t 


CHAPTER  VI 

REBUILDING  OF  FORT   DEARBORN 

INDIAN      TREATIES THE      "INDIAN      BOUNDARY      LINE"     TREATY BUILDING     OF     SECOND 

FORT    DEARBORN THE     COMING    OF    THE     BEAUBIEN     FAMILY GURDON     S.     HUBBARD 

• HUBBARD    AT    MACKINAC :HIS    FIRST    ARRIVAL    IN    CHICAGO LIFE    AS    A    TRADER 

PROMOTION- — PERMANENT    RESIDENCE    IN    CHICAGO STORROw's    VISIT    TO    THE    WEST 

JOURNEY  FROM  DETROIT  TO  CHICAGO STORROw's  OPINIONS  OF  CHICAGO RE- 
TURN TO  THE  EAST UNITED  STATES  TRADING  HOUSES CAUSES  FOR  THEIR  FAIL- 
URE— CLOSING  OF  "FACTORIES" — FACTORY  AT  CHICAGO — NORTHERN  BOUNDARY 

OF  ILLINOIS ORIGINAL  PROVISIONS  OF  ORDINANCE  OF  1787 RESULTS  OF  AMEND- 
MENT OF  ENABLING  ACT POPfi's  FORESIGHT SKETCH  OF  POPE. 

INDIAN    TREATIES 

PVEN    before   the    treaty  of   peace   with   Great   Britain  had   been   signed   a 
treaty  was  concluded  at  Greenville  by  which  the  Miamis,  Wyandots  and 
Pottawattomies  had  become  the  allies  of  the  United  States  "in  prosecut- 
ing the  war  against  Great  Britain  and  such  of  the  Indian  tribes  as  still 
continue  hostile."1     This  treaty  was  proclaimed  December  21,  1814. 
Towards,  the  end  of  the  following  year,  December  26,  1815,  a  treaty  was  made 
with  the  Pottawattomies,  by   which   "perpetual  peace  and   friendship"  between  the 
contracting  parties  was  established.2 

THE   "INDIAN  BOUNDARY  LINE"  TREATY 

This  was  followed  by  a  still  more  important  treaty  providing  for  a  distinct 
cession  of  territory  which  the  other  treaties  referred  to  did  not  include  in  their 
provisions.  This  treaty  was  concluded  August  24,  1816,  at  St.  Louis,  between 
Ninian  Edwards,  Governor  of  Illinois  Territory,  William  Clark,  Governor  of 
Missouri  Territory  and  Superintendent  of  Indian  affairs,  and  Auguste  Chouteau, 
a  citizen  of  St.  Louis,  on  the  part  of  the  United  States ;  and  the  chief  and  warriors 
of  the  Ottawas,  Chippewas  and  Pottawattomies,  on  the  part  of  the  tribes.  One 
of  the  signatures  to  this  treaty  was  that  of  our  old  friend,  Black  Partridge. 

This  treaty  ceded  a  tract  of  land  in  which  a  large  portion  of  the  present  city 
of  Chicago  is  located.  The  boundaries  of  the  tract  were  as  follows : 

"Beginning  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Fox  River  of  Illinois,  ten  miles  above 
the  mouth  of  said  Fox  River;  thence  running  so  as  to  cross  Sandy  Creek,  ten 

1  "Revision   of  Indian  Treaties,"   p.   1033. 

2  Ibid.,   p.   697. 

98 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  99 

miles  above  its  mouth;  thence,  in  a  direct  line,  to  a  point  ten  miles  north  of  the 
west  end  of  the  portage  between  Chicago  Creek,  which  empties  into  Lake  Mich- 
igan, and  the  river  Depleine,  a  fork  of  the  Illinois ;  thence,  in  a  direct  line,  to 
a  point  on  Lake  Michigan,  ten  miles  northward  of  the  mouth  of  Chicago  Creek; 
thence,  along  the  lake,  to  a  point  ten  miles  southward  of  the  mouth  of  the  said 
Chicago  Creek;  thence,  in  a  direct  line,  to  a  point  on  the  Kankakee,  ten  miles 
above  its  mouth ;  thence,  with  the  said  Kankakee  and  the  Illinois  River,  to  the 
mouth  of  Fox  River;  and  thence  to  the  beginning."3 

IMPORTANCE     OF    THE    TREATY 

"Of  all  the  Indian  treaties  ever  made,"  says  Blanchard,  "this  will  be  remem- 
bered when  all  others,  with  their  obligations,  are  forgotten."  The  consideration 
named  was  one  thousand  dollars  a  year  (in  goods)  for  a  period  of  twelve  years. 
Briefly  summarized,  the  tract  thus  ceded  begins  on  the  shore  of  the  lake,  ten  miles 
on  either  side  of  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river,  that  is,  having  a  width  of  twenty 
miles ;  and,  slightly  narrowing,  it  extends  in  a  generally  southwesterly  direction  to 
the  Fox  and  Kankakee  rivers,  some  forty  miles  inland ;  and  enclosing  approximately 
an  area  of  about  eight  hundred  square  miles. 

"When  the  country  came  to  be  surveyed  in  sections,"  says  Blanchard,  "inas- 
much as  the  surveys  on  both  sides  of  the  treaty  lines  were  not  made  at  the  same 
time  the  section  lines  did  not  meet  each  other;  and  the  diagonal  offsets  along  the 
entire  length  of  the  Indian  grant  were  the  result.  An  occasional  gore  of  land  is 
left  open  to  discussion  as  to  what  range  and  township  it  belongs  to,  and  all  the 
sectional  maps  must  ever  be  disfigured  with  triangular  fractions."  The  "Indian 
Boundary  line"  towards  the  north  forms  a  part  of  the  limits  between  the  present 
cities  of  Chicago  and  Evanston,  but  after  leaving  the  shore  of  the  lake  a  dis- 
tance of  a  city  square  or  two,  it  continues  within  the  present  limits  of  Chicago  in 
a  southwesterly  direction,  and  passes  through  the  western  limits  of  the  city  near 
the  corner  of  Western  Avenue  and  Irving  Park  Boulevard.  For  some  distance 
after  it  leaves  the  lake  a  street  or  avenue  has  been  laid  out  coincident  with  its 
course,  and  continues  thus  to  Ridge  avenue;  but  beyond  that  point  it  is  a  "geograph- 
ical expression"  only.  It  is  a  harrowing  feature  however  to  the  map  makers  and 
abstract  writers  of  later  days,  by  reason  of  its  diagonal  course  through  the  city 
and  country  beyond ;  and  the  abstracts  of  property  along  these  boundary  lines, 
north  and  south,  are  full  of  fractional  descriptions,  which  bring  perplexity  and 
woe  to  the  searchers  of  title  to  this  day.  That  part  of  the  boundary  line  which 
was  laid  out  for  an  avenue  was  called  the  "Indian  Boundary  Road,"  but  the  City 
Council  of  Chicago  has  within  a  few  years  changed  its  designation  to  "Rogers 
Avenue,"  thus  losing  a  picturesque  and  historical  reminder  in  our  street  nomen- 
clature.4 The  boundary  line,  on  the  south,  begins  on  the  shore  of  the  lake  at  about 

3  "Revision  of  Indian  Treaties,"  p.  151. 

4  An    effort    has   been   made   by   the    authorities   of   the    Chicago    Historical    Society    and    the 
Evanston  Historical    Society  to   procure   the   restoration   of  the   old   name  to  this   avenue,   though 
without  intending  any   disrespect   to   the   name  of  that  honored   pioneer,   Philip  Rogers,   which  is 
already  perpetuated   in   the   name  of   Rogers   Park.     The  two  societies   held  a   joint   session  in 
November,   1906 ;    and   at   that   session   a   resolution  was   adopted   asking  the  Common  Council   of 
the  City  of  Chicago,  and  also  that  of  the  City  of  Evanston,  to  change  the  name  back  to  its  orig- 


100  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

the  mouth  of  the  Calumet  River,  and,  running  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  passes 
the  present  city  limits  of  Chicago  near  Riverdale. 

Wherever  a  council  was  called  with  the  tribes  in  treaty-making  days  it  was  al- 
ways especially  noticeable  that  the  Pottawattomies  appeared  with  their  demands. 
"Their  greed  was  only  equaled  by  their  assurance,"  says  Moses,  in  his  history  of 
Illinois.  "Wherever  there  was  even  an  apparent  opportunity  to  receive  any 
money,  they  were  promptly  on  hand  to  put  in  a  claim,  and  .  .  .  generally 
succeeded  in  carrying  off  the  lion's  share." 

THE    BUILDING    OF    THE    SECOND    FORT    DEARBORN 

The  treaty  relations  with  the  Indians  having  been  thus  established  on  a  peace- 
ful footing,  the  authorities  at  Washington  began  making  preparations  for  re- 
establishing a  post  at  Chicago.  On  July  4,  1816,  Captain  Hezekiah  Bradley  ar- 
rived on  the  ground  with  a  company  of  soldiers,  and  began  the  construction  of  a 
fort.  Their  first  care  was  to  gather  the  remains  of  the  murdered  soldiers,  which 
had  been  left  unburied  for  four  years,  and  give  them  decent  interment.  The  new 
fort  was  built  on  the  same  site  as  that  occupied  by  the  former  one.  It  was  a 
square  stockade  inclosing  barracks  for  the  men,  and  quarters  for  the  officers; 
at  the  southwest  angle  was  built  a  block-house,  the  upper  part  overhanging  the 
lower  part,  as  was  customary  in  the  building  of  frontier  forts. 

When  the  troops  arrived  they  found  here  Ouilmette  and  his  family  occupying 
his  house  near  the  Kinzie  mansion;  and  John  Dean,  a  trader  and  contractor,  who 
had  come  the  year  before  and  built  a  house  on  the  lake  shore  near  the  present 
foot  of  Randolph  Street.5  There  was  also  a  Mr.  Bridges,  a  gunsmith  living  in  a 
house  west  of  the  Kinzie  house.  Judge  Charles  Jouett  had  been  appointed  Indian 
agent  at  Chicago  in  1815,  and  according  to  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Susan  M.  Callis, 
quoted  by  Hurlbut,  the  judge  and  his  family  had  arrived  on  the  spot  in  advance  of 
the  troops,  and  was  living  in  a  house  supposed  to  be  that  of  the  ill-fated  John  Burns, 
who  lost  his  life  in  the  massacre. 

Judge  Jouett  had  already  served  as  Indian  agent  at  Fort  Dearborn  during  the 
years  from  1804  to  1811,  but  in  the  latter  year  had  resigned  and  gone  to  Ken- 
tucky with  his  family  where  he  held  the  office  of  judge  in  Mercer  County  of  that 
state;  thus  acquiring  the  title  of  "Judge"  which  is  given  him  in  the  various  histories. 
In  Mrs.  Callis'  account  she  refers  to  Jouett's  timely  removal  to  Kentucky.  She 
says,  "Mother  often  congratulated  herself  that  she  left  Chicago  in  time  to  escape 
the  massacre."  6 

THE   BEAUBIENS 

Soon  after  the  rebuilding  of  the  fort,  the  trading  post  outside  its  walls  began 
to  grow,  with  the  arrival  of  strangers  who  had  come  with  the  definite  purpose  of 
settling  there,  or  of  those  who  chanced  to  stay,  attracted  by  one  or  another  feature  j 

inal  form,  "thus  restoring  to  it  its  former  proper  and  historic  name,  'The  Indian  Boundary 
Road'."  Nothing,  however,  has  come  of  this  movement,  and  the  name  remains  merely  as  an 
interesting  historical  reminiscence. 

"Andreas'   "History  of   Chicago,"   Vol.   I,   p.  85. 

'Andreas'  "Hist.  Chicago,"  Vol.  I,  p.  90. 


OLD  TOLL  GATE  HOUSE  OX  INDIAN  BOUNDARY  LINE 


By  courtesy  of  the  Chlcaeo  Historical  Society.    From  a  watercolor  by  C.  E.  Petford 


THE  SAUGAXASH  HOTEL 

The   Saujiiuiash   hotel   was  built  by  Mark  Beaubieii  in  1831  and  was  situated  at   the 
southeast  corner  of  the  present  Lake  and  Market  streets.    It  was  destroyed  by  fire  In  1851. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  101 

of  the  place.  The  name  of  Beaubien  is  frequently  met  with  in  the  early  history 
of  Chicago,  and  the  descendants  of  Jean  Baptiste  Beaubien,  who  came  in  1817, 
and  Mark  Beaubien,  his  brother,  who  came  in  1826,7  are  numerous,  many  of  them 
being  residents  of  Chicago  today. 

Jean  Baptiste  Beaubien,  often  referred  to  as  John  B.  Beaubien,  was  an  employe 
of  the  American  Fur  Company  at  Milwaukee,  and  in  1817  the  company  trans- 
ferred him  to  Chicago.  The  Beaubien  family  were  French  in  their  origin,  and 
lived  in  Detroit,  where  John  Baptiste  was  born  about  1878.  He  early  became  con- 
nected with  the  fur  trade,  and  on  arriving  at  Chicago  he  purchased  the  house  of 
John  Dean,  an  army  contractor,8  located  on  the  lake  shore  a  little  distance  south 
of  the  fort.9  Soon  after  he  was  married  to  Josette  La  Framboise,  a  French  Ottawa 
half-breed,  who  had  worked  in  John  Kinzie's  family  before  the  massacre. 

Mark  Beaubien,  a  brother  of  John  B.  Beaubien,  came  to  Chicago  from  De- 
troit, where  he  left  his  family,  in  1826,  said  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Emily  Le  Beau 
in  an  interview  with  the  author  on  September  23d,  1911.  He  returned  to  Detroit 
for  his  family,  and,  in  1829,  he  brought  them  with  him  to  Chicago  journeying  in 
a  horse  and  wagon  through  Michigan,  camping  out  nights  on  the  way,  and  Chicago 
thenceforward  became  his  permanent  abiding  place.  Mark  built  a  hote\  near  the 
northeast  corner  of  Randolph  and  Market  streets,  which  became  known  as  the  "Eagle 
Exchange."  There  were  in  later  years  other  hostelries  bearing  the  names  of 
"Eagle  Hotel"  and  "Eagle  House,"  but  Mrs.  Le  Beau  positively  said,  in  the  in- 
terview above  referred  to,  that  the  first  house  built  by  her  father  which  was  used 
as  a  stopping  place  for  travelers  was  called  the  "Eagle  Exchange,"  and  she  re- 
lated the  circumstances  under  which  it  received  this  name.  After  Mark  had  built 
the  house  and  began  to  use  it  for  the  purpose  mentioned  a  wandering  sign  painter 
stopped  at  the  hotel  and  offered  to  paint  a  sign  for  him.  To  this  Mark  agreed 
and  the  man  painted  a  picture  of  an  eagle— "at  least,"  said  Mrs.  Le  Beau,  "he 
said  it  was  an  eagle,  though  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  name  the  bird  from  the 
picture."  The  sign  was  hung  up  in  the  usual  manner  in  the  front  of  the  hotel, 
and  it  was  thenceforth  called  the  "Eagle  Exchange." 

Some  time  later  Mark  built  a  larger  and  better  house  north  of  the  old  "Eagle 
Exchange,"  and  named  it  the  "Sauganash,"  in  honor  of  his  old  friend  Billy  Cald 
well10  who  was  at  that  time  a  resident  of  Chicago.     The  Sauganash  became 
principal  hotel  of  the  place  until  in  the  course  of  time  other  and  more  ambi 
structures  were  erected. 

The  Sauganash  Hotel  built  by  Mark  Beaubien,  was  situated  at  the  south- 
east corner  of  the  present  Lake  and  Market  streets,  where,  in  1860,  stood  the 
"Wigwam,"  the  building  in  which  the  Republican  convention  sat  when  Abraham 
Lincoln  was  nominated.  Mark's  place  was  a  favorite  resort  for  purposes  both  of 
business  and  of  amusement,  and  he  was  renowned  for  his  accomplishment  as  a 
player  of  the  violin.  He  was  jovial  and  light-hearted,  a  great  story-teller,  and  one  of 
the  "characters"  of  the  place.  He  said  his  playing  on  the  violin  was  like  that 

•  "Wau-Bun"    (C.),  p.  407. 
8  Andreas,  I,  85. 
a  Hurlbut,   p.  306. 

10  Billy  Caldwell  was  a  half-breed  and  a  Pottawattomie  chief.     The  sobriquet, 
ganash,"  was  an  Indian  word  meaning  "Englishman,"  that  is,  white  man. 


102  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

the  Evil  One  himself,  and  that  his  "hotel"  was  like  the  Evil  One's  sulphurous 
abode.11  As  travel  increased,  Mark  enjoyed  a  liberal  patronage.  In  the  loft  of 
the  tavern  there  was  sufficient  space  for  fifty  men  to  lie  on  the  floor,  the  furniture, 
however,  being  very  scant.  As  men  arrived,  he  would  place  two  and  two  of  them 
together,  drawing  off  the  blanket  from  those  who  had  previously  gone  to  sleep 
for  the  use  of  the  latest  comers.  In  this  way,  he  related,  he  managed  to  make  a 
pair  of  blankets  answer  for  a  house  full  of  guests.  Further  mention  of  these  and 
other  members  of  the  Beaubien  family  will  be  made  in  a  later  portion  of  this  his- 
tory. 

HUBBARD'S  LIFE  AT  MACKINAC 

The  advent  of  Gurdon  S.  Hubbard  to  this  vicinity  in  1818  was  an  event  of 
greater  importance  than  the  usual  arrival  of  a  stranger,  for  Hubbard  came  and, 
after  passing  through  the  settlement  frequently  as  an  Indian  trader,  he  settled 
here.  He  was  a  youth  of  sixteen  years  when  he  first  arrived  in  Chicago,  and  he 
remained  a  resident  of  that  city  until  his  death  in  1886;  thus  he  witnessed  and 
shared  in  the  growth  and  development  of  the  city  throughout  those  years.  Barely 
a  dozen  traders  and  their  assistants  were  here  when  he  came,  besides  the  garrison 
at  the  fort,  and  yet  at  the  end  of  his  life  he  saw  a  city  of  six  hundred  thousand 
souls,  which  had  grown  from  the  small  hamlet  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  River. 

Gurdon  S.  Hubbard  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  though,  as  he  says,  he  had 
a  dislike  for  books  and  studies,  he  obtained  a  fair  education.  In  1818  young 
Hubbard  was  living  with  his  parents  at  Montreal,  and  learning  that  the  American 
Fur  Company  was  about  to  dispatch  a  fleet  of  boats  loaded  with  merchandise  to 
Mackinac,  he  obtained  an  appointment  as  a  clerk  in  the  part}-,  which  was  com- 
posed of  twelve  clerks  and  one  hundred  voyageurs.  Their  route  lay  by  way  of 
Lake  Simcoe  and  Lake  Huron,  and  after  a  journey  of  seven  weeks  the  party  reached 
its  destination.  The  island  of  Mackinac  was  the  headquarters  of  the  American 
Fur  Company,  and  "here,"  says  young  Hubbard,  "I  first  learned  something  of 
the  working  and  discipline  of  that  mammoth  corporation,  and  took  my  first  lessons 
in  the  life  of  an  Indian  trader,  a  life  which  I  followed  exclusively  for  ten  con- 
secutive years."12 

HUBBARD'S  LIFE  AT  MACKINAC 

The  fort  at  Mackinac  was  garrisoned  by  three  or  four  companies  of  troops,  and 
the  adjoining  village  had  a  population  of  about  five  hundred.  During  the  summer 
season  a  large  number  of  traders  employed  by  the  Fur  Company  gathered  here 
from  all  the  Indian  hunting  grounds  of  the  West,  sometimes  to  the  number  of  three 
thousand  or  more,  while  the  Indians  from  the  shores  of  the  upper  Lakes,  numbering 
two  or  three  thousand  more,  made  the  island  their  place  of  resort.  "Their  wigwams 
lined  the  entire  beach  two  or  three  rows  deep,  and,  with  the  tents  of  the  traders, 
made  the  island  a  scene  of  life  and  animation.  ...  At  the  time  of  our  arrival," 
says  Hubbard,  "all  the  traders  from  the  North  and  the  Great  West  had  reached 

11  Hurlbut,   pp.  332,   334. 

"Gurdon  S.  Hubbard:    "Sketch  of  Life." 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  103 

the  island  with  their  returns  of  furs  collected  from  the  Indians  during  the  previous 
winter,  which  were  being  counted  and  appraised." 

The  various  activities  of  the  island  are  described  in  a  most  interesting  manner 
by  Mr.  Hubbard  in  a  collection  of  sketches  published  in  1888.  It  is  difficult  to 
realize  that  while  the  outlying  posts,  such  as  Chicago,  Green  Bay  and  many  others 
of  the  kind,  were  still  in  a  crude  and  primitive  condition,  Mackinac  was  the  home 
of  an  establishment  in  which  were  employed  as  many  clerks  as  are  found  in  some 
of -the  largest  manufacturing  concerns  in  Chicago  to-day.  "The  force  of  the  Com- 
pany, when  all  were  assembled  on  the  island,"  says  Hubbard,  "comprised  about 
four  hundred  clerks  and  traders,  together  with  some  two  thousand  voyageurs." 

As  the  young  man  had  arrived  at  the  time  when  the  "outfits"  from  the  fur 
trading  posts  had  brought  in  their  loads,  he  was  given  the  task  of  counting  the 
peltries  to  see  that  the  number  of  skins  corresponded  with  the  number  reported 
by  the  commanders  of  the  outfits.  Other  employes  were  sent  to  cut  wood  for  the 
winter  supply  of  the  agents  who  remained  at  Mackinac  during  the  winter;  still 
others  were  employed  in  lyeing  the  corn,  drying  and  packing  it  both  for  those 
remaining  there  for  the  winter  and  for  those  about  to  leave  for  their  trading  posts. 

The  counting,  assorting  and  pressing  of  furs  occupied  much  of  the  summer, 
the  working  day  of  the  voyageurs  being  from  six  in  the  morning  until  six  at  night, 
with  an  hour's  interval  at  noon.  In  the  evenings  there  were  dances  and  parties 
given  by  the  traders,  and  in  their  honor.  The  agents  and  clerks  comprised  a  so- 
ciety into  which  Hubbard  was  welcomed,  where  he  met  John  H.  Kinzie,  a  young 
man  of  about  his  own  age. 

Early  in  the  fall  the  expeditions  for  distant  trading  posts  were  ready  to  start 
out  with  their  supplies  and  with  goods  for  trading  with  the  Indians,  some  to  pene- 
trate the  western  country  as  far  as  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  and  Lake  Winnipeg, 
others  to  go  south  to  the  neighborhood  of  St.  Louis.  As  a  participant  in  the  pic- 
turesque incidents  of  departure,  Hubbard  has  written  of  this  yearly  exodus:  "It 
was  the  policy  of  the  American  Fur  Company  to  monopolize  the  entire  fur  trade 
of  the  Northwest;  and  to  this  end  they  engaged  fully  nineteen-twentieths  of  all  the 
traders  of  that  territory,  and  with  their  immense  capital  and  influence  succeeded 
in  breaking  up  the  business  of  any  trader  who  refused  to  enter  their  service. 

"Very  soon  after  reaching  Mackinaw  and  making  returns,  the  trade'rs  com- 
menced organizing  their  crews  and  preparing  their  outfits  for  their  return  to 
winter  quarters  at  their  various  trading  posts,  those  destined  for  the  extreme  North 
being  the  first  to  receive  attention.  These  outfits  were  called  'brigades.' 

"The  'brigade'  destined  for  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  having  the  longest  journey  to 
make,  was  the  first  to  depart.  They  were  transported  in  boats  called  'batteaux,' 
which  very  much  resembled  the  boats  now  used  by  fishermen  on  the  great  lakes,  ex- 
cept that  they  were  larger,  and  were  each  manned  by  a  crew  of  five,  besides  a  clerk. 
Four  of  the  men  rowed  while  the  fifth  steered.  Each  boat  carried  about  three  tons 
of  merchandise,  together  with  the  clothing  of  the  men  and  rations  of  corn  and 
tallow.  No  shelter  was  provided  for  the  voyageurs,  and  their  luggage  was  con- 
fined to  twenty  pounds  in  weight,  carried  in  a  bag  provided  for  that  purpose. 

"The  commander  of  the  'brigade'  took  for  his  own  use  the  best  boat,  and  with 
him  an  extra  man,  who  acted  in  the  capacity  of  'orderly'  to  the  expedition,  and  the 
trill  of  the  commander  was  the  only  law  known. 


104  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

"The  clerks  were  furnished  with  salt  pork,  a  bag  of  flour,  tea  and  coffee,  and  a 
tent  for  shelter,  and  messed  with  the  commander  and  orderly. 

"A  vast  multitude  assembled  at  the  harbor  to  witness  their  departure,  and 
when  all  was  ready,  the  boats  glided  from  the  shore,  the  crews  singing  some 
favorite  boat  song,  while  the  multitude  shouted  their  farewells  and  wishes  for  a 
successful  trip  and  a  safe  return;  and  thus  outfit  after  outfit  started  on  its  way 
for  Lake  Superior,  Upper  and  Lower  Mississippi,  and  other  posts." 

HUBBARD'S  JOURNEY  TO  CHICAGO 

The  boy  Hubbard's  first  assignment  to  duty  was  in  the  brigade  of  Mr.  Deschamps, 
who  traded  yearly  with  the  Indians  on  the  Illinois  River.  On  the  10th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1818,  the  expedition  started  from  Mackinac,  and  on  October  first  they 
reached  Chicago,  when  Hubbard  had  his  first  glimpse  of  the  place.  The  party 
was  received  by  the  Kinzie  family,  among  whom  Hubbard  was  thenceforth  a  wel- 
come guest,  as  he  passed  through  the  village  and  finally  settled  there.  Mr.  Hub- 
bard, in  his  sketch,  has  given  a  detailed  picture  of  Fort  Dearborn  as  he  found  it 
in  1818.  From  Chicago  the  brigade  went  on  up  the  South  Branch,  through 
swamps  and  thick  mud,  to  the  Desplaines,  thence  by  progress  difficult  on  account 
of  the  shallows,  to  the  Illinois  River,  where  trading  posts  were  established  above 
and  below  Lake  Peoria.  An  Indian  chief,  Waba,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
post  of  which  Hubbard  was  left  in  charge,  having  lost  a  son  of  about  the  young 
boy's  age,  adopted  him,  according  to  Indian  custom,  in  the  place  of  the  lost  son, 
and  called  him  Che-mo-co-mon-ess  (the  Little  American).  This  chief,  until  his 
death,  was  a  good  friend  to  Hubbard. 

HUBBARD'S  FIRST  WINTER  ON  THE  FRONTIER 

His  first  winter  as  an  Indian  trader  was  spent  by  Hubbard  in  building  his 
cabin  and  its  furniture  of  logs  and  saplings,  in  keeping  the  accounts,  in  hunting 
with  his  two  Indian  companions  on  foot  or  in  canoes,  and  in  an  occasional  visit. 
On  one  of  these  visits  he  first  saw  Black  Hawk,  and  first  slept  in  an  Indian  wig- 
wam. During  this  time  he  was  learning  the  Indian  language  and  becoming  pro- 
ficient in  hunting  and  forest  lore;  so  appetizing  were,  the  dishes  that  he  learned 
to  make  from  game,  wild  onion  and  meal,  in  various  combinations,  that  he  has 
given  his  readers  some  sample  recipes  for  making  venison  pot-pie,  raccoon  croquettes, 
and  other  savory  dainties. 

He  was  famous  for  his  long  distance  walking,  and  tells  of  one  occasion,  in  his 
fifth  year  in  the  Indian  country,  when  he  walked  from  daybreak  until  dark  on  a 
day  in  early  spring,  over  soft  muddy  ground,  a  distance  of  seventy-five  miles.  Even 
the  Indians  marveled  at  his  ability,  calling  him  Pa-pa-ma-ta-be  (the  Swift  Walker). 

INDIAN    TRADING 

Of  the  method  of  their  trading,  we  read:  "It  was  our  custom  to  give  the  Indian 
hunters  goods  on  credit,  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  so  that  they  might  give  their  whole 
time  to  the  hunt;  and  indeed  it  would  have  been  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  for 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  105 

them  to  hunt  without  the  necessary  clothing,  guns,  and  ammunition.  The  condi- 
tions of  this  credit  were  that  these  advances  should  be  paid  from  the  proceeds  of 
their  first  winter's  hunt,  but  should  they  fail  to  pay,  after  having  devoted  all  their 
furs  for  the  purpose,  and  shown  a  disposition  to  act  honestly,  the  balance  was 
carried  over  to  the  next  year,  but  this  balance  was  seldom  paid.  The  debtors 
reasoned  that,  having  appropriated  the  entire  proceeds  of  their  season's  hunt  to 
the  liquidation  of  their  indebtedness,  it  was  the  fault  of  the  Great  Spirit  that 
they  had  not  been  able  to  pay  in  full,  and  so  they  considered  the  debt  canceled. 
We  were  very  careful  whom  we  trusted.  We  satisfied  ourselves  first  that  the 
person's  intentions  were  honest,  and  that  he  was  industrious  and  persevering;  and, 
second,  that  he  was  a  skilled  hunter  and  trapper,  and  knew  where  to  find  game 
in  abundance.  If  he  lacked  in  these  qualifications,  he  was  deemed  unworthy  of 
credit,  at  least  to  a  large  amount."  It  was  necessary,  in  trading  in  countries  where 
there  were  independent  traders,  rivals  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  for  the 
employes  of  the  latter  to  be  watchful  and  active,  lest  the  other  traders  should  have 
made  their  bargains  and  engaged  the  furs  of  the  Indians  in  advance  of  the  com- 
pany's agent.  At  outwitting  and  anticipating  his  competitors,  Hubbard  was  a  great 
success  on  account  of  his  energy,  endurance  and  ingenuity. 

In  the  early  spring  the  traders  of  the  Illinois  brigade  proceeded  northward, 
stopping  again  at  Chicago,  and  reaching  Mackinac  about  the  middle  of  May.  When 
the  summer's  work  was  finished,  Hubbard  in  the  next  detail  was  assigned  to  take 
charge  of  the  Muskegon  River  outfit  on  the  Michigan  peninsula.  The  winter  which 
he  spent  there,  with  its  trips  through  the  frozen  country  into  the  interior  and  its 
scarcity  of  food,  was  one  of  severest  hardship.  The  next  season  on  the  Kalamazoo 
River  was  also  a  hard  one,  but  the  results  of  the  winter's  trading  were  good. 

At  Mr.  Deschamps'  request  Hubbard  was  assigned  the  next  season  to  duty  on 
the  Illinois  River,  the  place  of  his  first  trading  experiences,  where  he  was  again 
among  comrades  who  were  delighted  to  welcome  him  back.  Here,  in  charge  of  a 
brading  post  below  Peoria,  he  spent  his  fourth  winter  as  an  Indian  trader. 

In  the  summer  following,  while  at  Mackinac,  Hubbard  witnessed  the  shooting 
accident,  as  a  result  of  which  the  well-known  experiment  of  Dr.  Beaumont  was 
successfully  tried — that  of  introducing  food  into  the  stomach  through  an  orifice  pur- 
posely kept  open  and  healed  with  that  object. 

In  the  summer  of  1823,  after  five  years  with  the  American  Fur  Company,  Hub- 
bard's  salary  was  increased  and  he  was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  Illinois 
Trading  Posts  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  to  succeed  his  former  master,  Mr. 
Deschamps,  now  grown  old.  In  this  year  he  lengthened  a  path  already  established 
by  him  for  trading,  so  that  it  extended  from  Chicago  to  a  point  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  south  of  Danville,  and  was  known  on  early  Illinois  maps  as  "Hub- 
bard's  Trail."  ]  When,  in  1 833,  a  state  road  was  located  between  Chicago  and  Vin- 

1  In  a  note  upon  this  point  in  Mr.  Hubbard's  account,  we  read,  "  'Hubbard's  Trail'  ran 
through  Cook,  Will.  Kankakee,  Iroquois  and  Vermilion  counties,  passing  the  present  towns  of 
Blue  Island,  Homewood,  Bloom,  Crete,  Grant,  Momence,  Beaverville,  Iroquois,  Hoopestown  and 
Myersville  to  Danville,  and  southwest  through  Vermilion  and  Champaign  counties  to  Bement 
in  Piatt  County;  thence  south  through  Moultrie  and  Shelby  Counties  to  Blue  Point  in  Effingham 
County.  At  Crete  a  fence  has  been  built  around  a  portion  of  the  'trail,'  to  further  preserve  it 
as  an  old  landmark  and  a  relic  of  early  roads  and  early  times." 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

cennes,  this  trail  was  followed   almost  the  whole  distance,  being  the  most  direct 
route  and  over  the  most  favorable  ground. 

PROMOTION    IN    THE    SERVICE 

In  1826  Hubbard  was  given  an  interest  in  the  Fur  Company  as  a  "special 
partner,"  which  gave  him  greater  responsibility  and  made  his  work  harder.  The 
winter  was  spent  near  the  Kankakee  River,  and  part  of  the  following  spring  and 
summer  in  Danville,  where  Hubbard  had  already  located  a  post.  Being  in  Mack- 
inac  in  the  summer  of  1827,  he  bought  out  the  entire  interests  of  the  Fur  Company 
in  Illinois,  and  established  headquarters  at  Danville,  where  he  built  a  store.  His 
memoirs  contain  no  further  account  of  his  life  in  Danville,  though  we  find  it  sum- 
marized in  a  note  by  the  editor  of  the  sketch.  "During  these  years  he  dealt  quite 
extensively  in  farm  produce,  and  had  contracts  for  furnishing  beef  and  pork  to 
the  troops  stationed  at  Fort  Dearborn.  He  continued  his  annual  visits  to  Mack- 
inaw, and  during  his  life  as  a  fur  trader,  made  twenty-six  trips  to  and  from  that 
island,  coasting  Lake  Michigan  in  an  open  rowboat.  ...  In  the  winter  of 
1829  he  killed  a  large  number  of  hogs,  and  not  having  received  the  barrels  which 
were  to  arrive  by  vessel,  he  piled  the  pork  up  on  the  river  bank,  near  where  Rush 
street  now  is,  and  kept  it  in  that  manner  until  the  arrival  of  barrels  in  the  spring. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  the  packing  industry  in  Chicago." 

During  his  residence  in  Danville,  which  continued  until  1834,  Mr.  Hubbard 
was  chiefly  occupied  with  his  store,  as  the  fur  trade  east  of  the  Mississippi  had 
diminished  to  almost  nothing.  In  the  Black  Hawk  war,  in  1832,  he  served  for  two 
months  in  a  company  of  scouts.  His  greatest  public  service  during  this  period 
was  introducing  into  the  General  Assembly,  to  which  he  was  sent  from  Vermilion 
county,  a  bill  for  the  construction  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal.  His  bill 
failing  in  the  senate,  as  well  as  later  a  bill  for  a  railroad  in  Illinois,  he  continued 
to  urge  upon  the  Assembly  the  passage  of  a  canal  bill,  until  it  finally  was  accom- 
plished in  the  session  of  1835-36.  Mr.  Hubbard,  with  William  F.  Thornton  and 
William  B.  Archer,  made  up  the  first  Board  of  Canal  Commissioners,  appointed 
by  Governor  Duncan,  and  served  until  1841,  when  the  office  was  made  an  elective 
one.  The  canal  was  begun  in  1836,  Mr.  Hubbard  digging  the  first  spadeful  of 
earth  towards  its  construction. 

PERMANENTLY     LOCATED     AT     CHICAGO 

In  1834  he  came  to  Chicago  to  make  his  permanent  residence  there,  and  erected, 
at  the  corner  of  La  Salle  and  South  Water  Streets,  the  first  large  brick  building 
in  the  town,  which  the  inhabitants  called  "Hubbard's  Folly,"  so  enormous  it  seemed 
to  them. 

Mr.  Hubbard's  nephew,  Mr.  Henry  E.  Hamilton,  who  collected  and  arranged 
these  reminiscences,  has  added  to  them  other  facts  of  the  life  of  Gurdon  S.  Hub- 
bard, which  we  quote: 

"He  was  also  a  director  of  the  Chicago  branch  of  the  State  Bank  of  Illinois. 
He  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Chicago  Hydraulic  Company,  which  built 
its  works  at  the  foot  of  Lake  street,  and  supplied  the  south  and  a  part  of  the  west 


From  Stevens'  "The  Hlackhawk  War" 

MAJOR    XAC'IIARY    TAYLOR 


at  G 


From  Stevens'  "The  Blackhawk  War" 

NINIAN   EDWARDS 

Governor  of   Illinois   Territory.     Governor 


Judge    Storrow    visited   Chicago   in    1817 


By  courtesy  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 

GI'RDON  S.  HUBBARD 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  107 

side  with  water  until  its  franchises  were  purchased  by  the  city  in  1852.  In  1818 
he  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade. 

"In  1836  he  sold  out  his  mercantile  business  and  built  a  warehouse  fronting  on 
Kinxif  street  and  the  river,  and  organized  the  firm  of  Hubbard  and  Company,  Henry 
G.  Hubbard  and  Elijah  K.  Hubbard  being  his  partners.  This  firm  embarked  largely 
in  the  forwarding  and  commission  business,  and  became  interested  in  a  great  num- 
ber of  vessels  and  steamers  forming  the  'Eagle  Line,'  between  Buffalo  and  the  up- 
per lakes.  In  this  year  he  wrote  for  the  Aetna  Insurance  Company  the  first  policy 
ever  issued  in  Chicago,  and  continued  as  agent  of  that  and  other  companies  until 
1868.  The  previous  year  he  had  gone  more  extensively  into  the  packing  business 
and  had  cut  up  and  packed  thirty-five  hundred  hogs.  This  business  he  continued, 
and  was  for  many  years  known  as  the  largest  packer  in  the  West.  In  1868  his  large 
packing  house  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  he  then  abandoned  the  business. 

"In  later  years,  in  connection  with  A.  T.  Spencer,  he  established  a  line  of  steam- 
ers to  Lake  Superior,  among  which  were  the  Superior  and  Lady  Elgin.  The  Su- 
perior was  lost  on  the  rocks  in  Lake  Superior,  and  the  loss  of  the  Lady  Elgin  is 
familiar  history.  After  the  loss  of  his  packing  house,  he  engaged  in  the  direct  im- 
portation of  tea  from  China,  and  organized  a  company  for  that  purpose.  The  great 
fire  of  October  9,  1871,  destroyed  his  business,  burned  his  property,  and  crippled 
him  financially,  and  from  that  time  he  retired  from  active  business."  ls 

The  Hon.  Grant  Goodrich  says  in  his  memorial  of  him,  delivered  before  the  Chi- 
cago Historical  Society: 

"There  are  few  of  the  numerous  veins  of  commerce  and  wealth-producing  in- 
dustries that  draw  to  this  pulsating  heart  of  the  great  West  that  boundless  agricul- 
tural and  mineral  wealth,  which  through  iron  arteries  and  water  craft  is  distributed 
to  half  a  world,  that  have  not  felt  the  inspiration  of  his  genius,  and  been  quickened 
by  his  enterprise  and  energy.  The  assertion  that  in  the  progress  of  events,  one  who 
has  reached  the  ordinary  limit  of  human  life  in  this  age  has  lived  longer  than  the 
oldest  antediluvian,  is  surely  verified  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Hubbard.  What  marvelous 
transformation  he  witnessed.  When  he  reached  Mackinaw  at  scarce  sixteen  years 
of  age,  save  in  the  vicinity  of  Detroit,  Michigan,  the  northern  part  of  Indiana  and 
Illinois,  all  Wisconsin  and  the  limitless  West  which  lies  beyond — except  here  and 
there  a  trading  post — was  an  unbroken  wilderness,  pathless,  except  by  lakes  and 
rivers  and  the  narrow  trail  of  the  Indian  and  trapper.  Sixty-eight  years  have 
passed,  and  what  a  change !  It  challenges  all  historic  parallel.  Before  the  march 
of  civilization  the  wild  Indian  has  disappeared,  or  been  driven  toward  the  setting 
sun ;  the  dark  forests  and  prairie,  garden  fields  where  he  roved  in  the  pride  of  un- 
disputed dominion,  have  been  transformed  into  harvest  fields,  dotted  with  villages 
and  cities,  some  of  them  crowded  with  hundreds  of  thousands  of  inhabitants,  where 
the  hum  of  varied  industry  is  never  silent,  and  the  smoke  of  forges  and  factories 
darkens  the  sky. 

"The  canoe  and  open  boat  have,  given  place  to  thousand-ton  vessels,  and  steam- 
ers of  twice  that  burden.  The  narrow  trails  over  which  the  Indian  trotted  his  pony 
are  traversed  or  crossed  by  roads  of  iron,  on  which  iron  horses  rush  along  with  the 
speed  of  the  wind.  The  amazing  change  may  be  more  strikingly  realized  when  we 
remember  that  while  within  the  present  limits  of  Cook  County,  there  were  then  only 

13  Gurdon   S.  Hubbard's  Memoirs,   p.   171. 


108  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

three  dwellings  of  white  men  outside  of  the  garrison  inclosure,  there  now  dwell  more 
than  eight  hundred  thousand  people,  and  that  the  seat  of  political  power  in  this 
great  Nation  has  been  transferred  to  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi." 

AN  EASTERNER'S  VISIT  TO  CHICAGO 

Besides  those  who  settled  in  Chicago  there  were  visitors  passing  through  fre- 
quently and  now  and  then  a  traveler  of  some  distinction.  Such  a  one  was  Samuel 
A.  Storrow,  who  visited  the  western  country  in  the  year  1817,  and  whose  narrative 
of  his  trip  is  full  of  interest  for  the  reader  of  Chicago  history.  Storrow  was  Judge 
Advocate  in  the  army,  and  from  the  reading  of  his  narrative  it  would  appear  that 
his  purpose  was  to  report  on  the  condition  'and  prospects  of  the  western  country 
with  reference  to  its  suitability  for  settlement.  He  also  paid  especial  attention  to 
the  military  situation,  and  carefully  noted  the  advantages  of  certain  points  on  the 
line  of  his  route  of  travel  as  defenses  against  the  savage  tribes. 

Judge  Storrow's  narrative  is  in  the  form  of  a  letter  addressed  to  -Major  Gen- 
eral Jacob  Brown,  at  whose  request  he  had  undertaken  the  journey,  and  is  printed 
in  full  in  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections.  Judge  Storrow  began  his  journey 
at  Detroit  on  August  17,  1817.  He  proceeded  by  lake  to  Mackinac,  made  a  visit 
to  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  came  back  again  to  Mackinac;  proceeded  thence  to  Green  Bay, 
where  he  set  out  through  the  wilderness  to  Milwaukee  and  Chicago ;  and  from 
there  he  completed  his  tour  by  way  of  Fort  Wayne,  reaching  Detroit  again  on  the 
16th  of  October,  thus  in  two  months  making  a  circuit  by  water  and  land  of  a  dis- 
tance considerably  exceeding  a  thousand  miles.  This  journey,  with  its  leading 
incidents,  is  summarized  in  the  following  paragraphs. 

STORROW'S  JOURNEY  FROM  DETROIT  TO  MACKINAC 

Leaving  Detroit  in  a  barge,  he  proceeded  as  far  as  Fort  Gratiot  (near  Port 
Huron)  whence  he  continued  his  journey  in  a  small  vessel  through  Lake  Huron, 
arriving  at  the  island  of  Mackinac  on  the  28th  of  August,  eleven  days  after  start- 
ing from  Detroit.  He  spent  some  time  here  examining  the  fort,  and  made  an  es- 
timate of  its  strategical  value.  "If  Michilimackinac  commanded  any  pass,"  he 
wrote,  "the  position  would  be  invaluable,  for  it  may  be  made  impregnable."  The 
geologic  formations  interested  him.  He  visited  the  Natural  Arch  and  Sugar  Loaf 
Rock,  and  made  an  excellent  description  of  those  freaks  of  nature. 

From  Mackinac  he  made  a  trip  by  barge  and  canoe  to  St.  Mary's  Falls,  oc- 
cupying one  week  in  going  and  returning.  On  the  9th  of  September  he  embarked 
in  an  open  boat  manned  with  soldiers,  a  guide,  an  interpreter,  and  a  Mr.  Pierce  as 
a  traveling  companion.  For  several  succeeding  days  the  party  followed  the  northern 
shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  while  the  judge  made  observations  on  the  rocks  and  other 
natural  features.  On  the  15th  they  reached  the  entrance  to  Green  Bay,  and  fol- 
lowed the  chain  of  islands  which  extend  across  that  arm  of  Lake  Michigan.  He 
remarks  upon  Green  Bay  that  "it  is  a  body  of  water  on  the  same  noble  scale  as 
the  Delaware  or  Chesapeake." 

On  the  19th  the  party  arrived  at  Green  Bay,  and  the  military  importance  of 
this  post  claimed  his  attention  at  once.  "At  no  part  of  the  Indian  frontier  could 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  109 

a  fortress  be  more  useful  and  indispensable,"  he  says.  "It  is  in  the  chain  of  con- 
nection with  the  Indian  settlements  between  the  Mississippi  and  the  lakes.  It 
opens  a  way  to  their  retreats  in  the  West,  and  commands  their  thoroughfare  towards 
the  East.  The  Fals  Avoines,  Ottawas,  Pottawattomies  and  dangerous  Winneba- 
goes  consider  this  place  as  their  accustomed  and  privileged  haunt.  In  times  of 
peace  they  sometimes  assembled  about  it  to  the  number  of  one  or  two  thousand; 
but  for  hostile  purposes  might  collect  twice  that  number  on  the  most  sudden  em- 
ergency. The  importance  of  the  position  was  apparent  in  the  jealousy  with  which 
the  nations  regarded  the  occupancy  of  it.  They  considered  it  as  a  check  to  their 
predatory  habits,  and  assembled  in  a  body  to  oppose  it;  being  overawed  at  that 
moment,  they  have  since  threatened  that  at  the  first  reduction  of  numbers  at  the 
post  they  shall  make  it  their  own." 

While  at  Green  Bay  Judge  Storrow  made  observations  ori  the  ebb  and  flow  of 
a  lake  tide,  by  placing  a  stick  perpendicularly  in  the  water.  From  eleven  o'clock 
in  the  morning  to  half  past  nine  in  the  evening,  the  water  had  risen  five  inches; 
at  eight,  the  next  morning,  it  had  fallen  seven  inches;  at  eight  the  same  evening 
it  had  risen  eight  inches;  thus  showing,  as  it  seemed  to  him,  a  mean  tidal  fluctua- 
tion of  about  four  inches. 

GREEN    BAY    TO    CHICAGO 

"After  a  short  stay  at  Green  Bay,"  he  writes,  "I  made  arrangements  with  a 
Fals  Avoine  chief  to  conduct  me  as  a  guide  to  the  Winnebago  Lake;  from  whence 
it  was  my  determination  to  proceed  on  foot,  through  the  wilderness,  to  Chicago." 
The  commanding  officer  at  Green  Bay  was  Major  Zachary  Taylor,  afterwards  a 
general  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  President  of  the  United  States  in  1849.  How 
little  did  either  Major  Taylor  or  Judge  Storrow  dream  of  the  future  career  of  the 
former,  the  man  who  in  1846  won  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  and  within  three  years 
thereafter  was  raised  to  the  highest  office  in  the  nation. 

Taking  leave  of  Major  Taylor  and  the  officers  at  the  fort,  Judge  Storrow  entered 
the  wilderness  on  his  "two  hundred  and  fifty  mile  journey"  to  Chicago,14  attended 
only  by  his  Indian  guide  and  a  soldier  of  the  garrison  leading  a  pack-horse,  loaded 
with  provisions  and  presents  for  the  Indians.  "The  thickness  of  the  forest  ren- 
dered marching  difficult,"  he  writes,  "and  almost  entirely  impeded  the  horse;  but 
for  exertions  in  assisting  him  over  crags,  and  cutting  away  branches  and  saplings 
with  our  tomahawks,  we  should  have  been  obliged  to  abandon  him.  The  land  was 
broken  with  hillocks  and  masses  of  rock."  On  the  24th  of  September  the  little 
party  reached  Lake  Winnebago  and  visited  a  village  of  Fals  Avoines,  where  their 
reception  was  anything  but  friendly,  "the  men  eyeing  me  with  contemptuous  indif- 
ference," he  says,  "the  females  and  children  with  a  restless  and  obtrusive  curiosity." 

The  Judge's  opinion  of  Indians  in  general,  their  character  and  mode  of  life,  is 
distinctly  unfavorable.  "Sloth,  filth  and  indifference  to  the  goods  or  ills  of  life, 
form  the  same  characteristics  of  the  remote  Indians,  as  of  those  nearer  to  us.  The 
similarity  of  traits  is  radical;  disparity  of  situation  makes  but  accidental  shades. 
Necessity  gives  to  the  foresters  an  energy  which  contact  with  the  whites  takes  from 
the  lower  tribes.  They  present  fewer  instances  of  helplessness,  petty  vices,  and 

14  The   distance  is  really  something  less  than   200  miles. 


110  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

premature  decay  from  intemperance;  but  substitute  in  their  stead  the  grosser  and 
more  unrelenting  features  of  barbarism." 

The  course  was  now  towards  Chicago,  and  having  procured  two  new  guides  in 
place  of  the  one  who  had  accompanied  him  so  far,  the  Judge,  the  soldier  and  the 
two  Indians  proceeded  together  in  a  southerly  direction.  They  passed  through  the 
region  of  small  lakes  in  what  is  now  Waukesha  Count}7,  and  the  Judge,  keeping  an 
eye  open  always  to  the  geological  features  of  the  country,  observes  that  "the  country 
may  be  said  to  be  without  rocks ;  the  few  I  had  seen  during  the  last  two  days  were 
detached  and  of  granite."  As  the  significance  of  these  detached  granite  rocks  was 
not  suspected  by  the  geologists  of  that  day,  the  cause  of  their  presence  in  these  re- 
gions, where  there  are  no  granite  formations  in  situ,  must  have  been  puzzling  enough 
to  the  Judge,  though  we  now  know  that  they  were  brought  here  from  far  distant 
regions  of  the  north,  embedded  in  glaciers,  which,  as  they  receded,  left  granite 
boulders  scattered  over  a  vast  extent  of  country. 

Their  course  was  now  southeast,  and  the  Judge  supposed  himself  not  far  dis- 
tant from  the  dividing  ridge  between  the  Mississippi  and  Lake  Michigan,  knowing 
that  the  elevation  was  not  very  remote  from  the  lake  itself.  "We  commenced  our 
inarch  at  sunrise  of  the  28th,"  writes  the  Judge;  "the  guides,  who  during  part  of 
the  preceding  day,  had  been  sullen  and  silent,  seemed  now  in  entire  ignorance  of 
the  way,  and  were  leading  towards  the  northeast.  I  refused  to  follow  them,  and, 
after  a  fruitless  and  vexatious  attempt  to  understand  each  other,  or  to  know  if  they 
understood  the  way,  I  insisted  upon  their  leaving  me;  which  they  did  after  a  long 
and  unintelligible  altercation.  I  should  not  have  resorted  to  this  measure,  which 
left  me  alone  in  the  wilderness,  had  I  not  been  convinced  that  a  day's  march  prop- 
erly directed  would  bring  me  to  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan." 

Towards  evening,  however,  the  Judge  caught  a  distant  view  of  the  lake  from  an 
eminence,  and  the  next  day,  the  29th,  reached  its  margin  at  the  mouth  of  the  "Mil- 
lewackie"  river.  Finding  a  Pottawattomie  village  here,  he  procured  a  guide  and  con- 
tinued on  his  way.  He  attempted  to  reach  the  Schipicoten  river  the  same  day,  but 
darkness  overtook  the  party  while  yet  entangled  in  a  swamp,  and  they  were  obliged 
to  spend  the  night  in  this  uncomfortable  environment.  The  next  day  they  reached 
the  Schipicoten,  known  at  present  by  the  name  of  Root  river,  which  flows  into  the 
lake  at  Racine.  The  river  proved  to  be  too  deep  to  be  forded,  and  finding  no  ma- 
terial to  construct  a  raft,  they  were  obliged,  cold  as  it  was,  to  cross  it  by  swimming. 

BEACH  JOURNEY   ALONG  THE    NORTH    SHORE 

On  the  morning  of  the  first  of  October  there  was  a  severe  frost.  The}'  judged 
that  they  were  now  within  a  day's  journey  of  Chicago,  and  for  the  remainder  of  the 
distance  their  course  lay  along  the  beach.  However,  night  overtook  them  while 
yet  some  distance  from  their  destination,  and  the  party  slept  on  the  sand,  probably 
not  far  from  the  present  location  of  Highland  Park.  In  his  letter  the  Judge  speaks 
of  meeting  a  great  number  of  Indians  "moving  like  caravans."  For  several 
days  as  they  neared  Chicago  he  encountered  these  parties,  though  it  gives  him,  he 
says,  little  pleasure  to  refer  to  them ;  then  follows  a  discussion  of  Indian  virtues, 
religion  and  morality.  His  views  are  those  of  a  thoughtful  and  observing  man,  and 
his  conclusions  are  generally  unfavorable  to  the  Indian. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  111 

There  is  "nothing  to  justify  the  contradictory  expression  of  savage  virtue,"  he 
says.  "The  earliest  gift  of  society  to  the  savage  may  be  its  vices  .  .  .  yet  so- 
ciety can  give  him  nothing  worse  than  his  original  properties  nor  lead  him  to  any 
viler  state  than  that  in  which  it  finds  him." 

We  can  imagine  this  party,  led  by  our  venturesome  traveler,  attended  only  by 
a  soldier  leading  a  pack-horse  and  the  two  Indian  guides,  passing  along  the  beach 
at  the  foot  of  the  picturesque  bluffs  that  border  the  North  Shore,  while  the  sur- 
rounding country  was  inhabited  only  by  savages — and  all  this  less  than  one  hun- 
dred years  ago;  if  in  contrast  with  this  scene  we  consider  the  present  conditions, 
the  teeming  population  of  civilized  races  which  here  are  established,  the  wonder  of 
it  is  sufficiently  apparent.  And  when  in  some  future  "historical  pageant"  this  scene 
shall  be  reproduced,  showing  the  travelers  wending  their  way  along  the  shore,  to 
the  roar  of  Lake  Michigan's  waves  breaking  upon  the  sand  and  gravel,  it  may  well 

bear  the  motto, 

"I   hear   the   tread   of   pioneers 

Of  nations  yet  to  be; 

The  first   low    wash    of  waves   where   soon 
Will  roll  a  human  sea." 

ARRIVAL    AT    CHICAGO 

On  the  second  of  October,  after  walking  for  three  or  four  hours,  the  party 
reached  the  river  Chicago,  and,  crossing  it,  entered  Fort  Dearborn,  "where  I  was 
kindly  entertained  by  Major  Baker  and  the  officers  of  the  garrison,  who  received 
me  as  one  arrived  from  the  moon."  He  had  thus  accomplished  the  journey  from 
Milwaukee  to  Chicago,  eighty-five  miles,  in  three  days,  an  average  of  nearly  thirty 
miles  a  day ;  or  reckoning  from  Green  Bay,  the  distance  by  the  route  taken  was 
probably  not  far  from  two  hundred  miles,  and  the  time  occupied  was  eight  days, 
an  average  over  the  whole  distance  of  twenty-five  miles  a  day;  which  considering 
that  nearly  the  whole  way  was  an  untracked  wilderness,  was  good  marching  speed. 

Judge  Storrow's  entrance  upon  the  scene  was  some  hundred  and  forty-four  years 
after  the  first  visit  by  Joliet  and  Marquette,  and  the  progress  made  in  the  settle- 
ment of  the  place  during  that  period  was  almost  nil.  Much  indeed  had  occurred 
in  its  history  within  that  space  of  time, — the  French  dominion  had  passed  away, 
the  succeeding  British  regime  had  ended  its  brief  period,  and  after  an  occupation 
of  a  few  years  the  American  post  had  been  swept  away,  root  and  branch,  and  was 
now  but  recently  rebuilt  and  reoccupied.  Although  as  we  look  back  now  to  the 
time  when  a  stranger's  visit  to  the  place  was  so  rare  that  he  was  regarded  as  "one 
arrived  from  the  moon,"  we  should  remember  that  even  in  that  early  period  Chi- 
cago had  a  notable  history.  How  many  generations  of  red  men  and  white  men  had 
passed  and  repassed  this  portage,  men  like  old  Jacques  Vieau,  who,  long  before 
the  first  Fort  Dearborn  was  built,  was  considered  an  old  habitue  of  the  place;  or 
like  the  Miami  chief,  Little  Turtle,  who,  we  are  told,  "frequently  sojourned  at 
Chicago." 

STORROW    ON    CHICAGO 

"At  Chicago,"  writes  Judge  Storrow,  "I  perceived  I  was  in  a  better  country. 
It  had  become  so  by  gradual  melioration.  That  which  I  had  left  was  of  a  character 


112  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

for  above  mediocrity,  but  labors  under  the  permanent  defects  of  coldness  of  soil  and 
want  of  moisture.  The  native  strength  of  it  is  indicated  by  the  growth  of  timber, 
which  is  almost  entirely  of  white  oak  and  beech,  without  pine,  chestnut,  maple, 
ash,  or  any  kind  which  denotes  warmth.  The  country  suffers  at  the  same  time 
from  water  and  from  the  want  of  it.  The  deficiency  of  circulation,  not  of  water 
itself,  produces  this  contradiction.  It  is  not  sufficiently  uneven  to  form  brooks  to 
lead  off  its  redundant  rains  and  form  a  deposit  for  mid-summer.  The  snows  of 
winter  dissolve  and  remain  on  the  ground  until  exhaled  by  the  sun  at  a  late  period 
of  spring.  In  prairies  that  are  entirely  level  this  produces  a  cold  which  is  scarcely 
dissipated  by  the  heat  of  summer;  in  such  as  are  undulated,  it  renders  one-half 
(that  on  which  the  water  rests)  useless,  or  of  inferior  value.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered, moreover,  that  this  region  is  not  to  undergo  the  changes  incident  to  new 
countries  generally,  from  the  thinning  of  forests  and  exposure  of  the  soil.  It  is 
already  on  the  footing  of  the  oldest,  and  has  received  for  the  lapse  of  ages  all  the 
heat  it  is  ever  to  derive  from  the  sun  alone.  At  some  remotely  future  period,  when 
a  dense  population  enables  the  husbandman  to  apply  artificial  warmth  to  his 
ground,  means  of  life  may  be  extracted  from  this  soil  which  are  latent  at  present. 
It  requires  industry  and  is  capable  of  repaying  it. 

"The  river  Chicago  (or,  in  English,  Wild  Onion  river)  is  deep  and  about  forty 
yards  in  width.  Before  it  enters  the  lake,  its  two  branches  unite — the  one  pro- 
ceeding from  the  north,  the  other  from  the  west,  where  it  takes  its  rise  in  the 
fountain  of  the  De  Plein,  or  Illinois,  which  flows  in  an  opposite  direction.15  The 
source  of  these  two  rivers  illustrates  the  geographical  phenomenon  of  a  reservoir 
on  the  very  summit  of  a  dividing  ridge.  In  the  autumn,  they  are  both  without  any 
apparent  fountain,  but  are  formed  within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  each  other  by  some 
imperceptible  undulations  of  the  prairie  which  drain  it  and  lead  to  different  di- 
rections. But  in  the  spring,  the  space  between  the  two  is  a  single  sheet  of  water, 
the  common  reservoir  of  both,  in  the  center  of  which  there  is  no  current  towards 
either  of  the  opposite  streams.  This  circumstance  creates  the  singular  fact  of  the 
insulation  of  all  the  United  States  excepting  Louisiana,  making  the  circumnaviga- 
tion of  them  practicable,  from  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  to  that  of  Mexico,  with 
the  single  hindrance  of  the  Falls  of  Niagara. 

"The  Chicago  forms  a  third  partition  of  the  great  country  I  had  passed.  The 
Ouisconsin  and  Fox  rivers  make  a  water  communication  between  the  Mississippi  and 
[Lake]  Michigan,  with  the  exception  of  four  miles.  The  Millewackie  [Milwaukee] 
and  Riviere  a  la  Roche  [Rock  River]  the  same,  with  half  the  exception.  The  Chi- 
cago and  De  Plein  make,  in  the  manner  I  have  described,  the  communication  en- 
tire. This  latter  should  not  escape  national  attention.  The  ground  between  the 
two  is  without  rocks,  and,  with  little  labor,  would  admit  of  a  permanent  connec- 
tion between  the  waters  of  the  Illinois  and  [Lake]  Michigan."'18 

This  observer  showed  an  intelligent  grasp  of  the  physical  conditions,  and  his 
views  doubtless  had  their  weight  with  the  public  men  of  the  time,  as  this  letter 
was  printed  in  pamphlet  form,  and,  no  doubt,  was  accessible  to  anyone  who  was 

15  The  writer  is  mistaken  if  he  means  that  the  source  of  the  Desplaines  is  at  or  near  that 
of  the  Chicago  river.     The  Desplaines  River  takes  its  rise  some  distance  north  of  the  state  line 
between  Wisconsin   and  Illinois. 

16  Wisconsin    Historical    Collections,   VI,   180. 


From  drawing  made  by  Mrs.  Kinzie  and  published  in  "Wau-Bun,"  edition  of  1856 

CHICAGO  IN  1831— THE  SECOND  FORT  DEARBORN 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  113 

interested  in  the  subject.  Some  thirty  years  later  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal 
was  cut  through  the  "divide"  which  he  described,  and  in  recent  years  a  new  and 
much  larger  channel  has  been  excavated  along  practically  the  same  route,  having 
the  double  purpose  of  drainage  and  navigation.  Judge  Storrow  said  in  his  letter 
that  the  ground  between  the  two  rivers,  the  Chicago  and  the  Desplaines,  was  "with- 
out rocks,"  but  both  the  canal  builders  and  the  builders  of  the  great  Drainage  Chan- 
nel found  plenty  of  rocks  lying  a  short  distance  below  the  surface,  which  added 
very  much  to  the  difficulty  of  making  the  excavations. 

Writing  further  of  Chicago,  Judge  Storrow  said:  "It  has  no  advantage  of  har- 
bor, the  river  itself  being  always  choked  and  frequently  barred,  from  the  same 
causes  that  I  have  imputed  to  the  other  streams  of  this  country.17  In  the  rear  of 
the  fort  is  a  prairie  of  the  most  complete  flatness,  no  sign  of  elevation  being  within 
the  range  of  the  eye.  The  soil  and  climate  arc  both  excellent.  Traces  yet  remain 
of  the  devastation  and  massacre  committed  by  the  savages  in  1812." 

We  need  not  follow  Judge  Storrow  in  his  further  travels  except  to  explain  that, 
after  a  stay  of  two  days  in  Chicago,  he  left  for  Fort  Wayne,  traveling  along  the 
beach  for  sixty  miles,  and  arriving  safely  at  his  destination  in  four  days  from  his 
departure.  In  the  course  of  his  observations  about  Fort  Wayne  he  adds,  "The  na- 
ture of  the  country  I  have  just  passed,  and  the  facilities  of  communication  afforded 
by  it,  enhance  the  importance  which  I  had  already  ascribed  to  Chicago.  It  being  at 
the  head  of  a  probable  connection  between  the  Illinois  and  [Lake]  Michigan,  its 
remoteness  from  any  dangerous  neighbor,  and  its  facility  of  deriving  resources  from 
the  Miami  of  the  Lake,  the  Wabash,  and  the  fertile  interior  of  Indiana,  mark  it 
as  the  future  place  of  deposit  for  the  whole  region  of  the  Upper  Lakes." 

ON   RETURNING   TO    THE    EAST 

After  returning  to  Brownville,  N.  Y.,  from  this  journey,  Judge  Storrow  wrote 
to  his  sisters:  "If  you  ask  me  what  upon  earth  tempted  me  to  such  an  undertaking 
I  shall  be  at  a  loss  to  give  an  answer.  It  led  me  to  many  -spots  where  Christian 
footstep  never  trod  before,  and  the  vanity  of  doing  so  was,  I  fear,  one  of  the  lead- 
ing reasons.  It  tested  my  nerves  and  my  bodily  ability,  and  that  by  itself  alone 
has  its  gratifications.  I  have  been  at  different  periods  for  ten  days  without  enter- 
ing a  house  or  seeing  one — sleeping  on  the  ground  without  even  a  tent  while  the 
ice  was  forming  every  night.  When  I  reached  Chicago  I  had  been  for  ten  days  in 
the  prairies  and  wilderness — I  had  a  beard  like  a  Jew,  was  nearly  barefoot  and 
covered  (O  shame)  with  that  which  was  but  a  part  of  the  occupancy  of  Mr.  Upson's 
head.  I  laid  down  with  Indians  and  rose  with — ,"  ls  and  at  this  point  a  page  is 
missing. 

This  letter  may  have  its  value  in  explaining  away  any  motive  ascribed  to  Stor- 
row in  undertaking  the  journey;  at  any  rate,  it  gives  us  a  short  though  intimate 
glimpse  of  the  personality  of  a  man  who  had  the  love  of  adventure  and  the  quaint 

'  The    writer    refers   to    the    sand    bars    formed    at    the    mouths    of    streams    entering    Lake 
Michigan. 

18  From  a  letter  written  by  Slorrow,  now  in  the  possession  of  Mrs.  William  S.  Greene  of 
Alexandria,  Virginia.  This  letter,  with  several  others  written  by  Storrow,  was  loaned  by  Mrs. 
Greene  to  the  author. 

Vol.     I— « 


114  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

humor  that  are  possessions  of  the  true  sportsman.  Others  of  his  letters  to  his  sis- 
ters, whom  he  loved  devotedly,  show  many  charming  traits  of  character — attach- 
ment to  his  friends,  finest  consideration  of  others,  an  uncalculating  courage  in  his 
political  convictions,  and  withal  a  delightful  childlikeness  of  feeling. 

THE   UNITED   STATES   TRADING    HOUSES 

The  Factory  System,  to  which  allusion  has  been  made,  had  its  origin  in  an  act 
passed  by  Congress  in  1796.  The  Ordinance  of  1787  had  provided,  in  one  of  its 
articles,  that  "the  utmost  good  faith  shall  always  be  observed  toward  the  Indians ; 
their  lands  and  property  shall  never  be  taken  from  them  without  their  consent ;  and 
in  their  property  rights,  and  liberty,  they  never  shall  be  invaded  or  disturbed,  un- 
less in  just  and  lawful  wars  authorized  by  Congress;  but  laws  founded  in  justice 
and  humanity  shall  from  time  to  time  be  made,  for  preventing  wrongs  being  done 
to  them,  and  for  preserving  peace  and  friendship  with  them." 

It  was  in  the  spirit  of  this  provision  in  the  famous  Ordinance,  that  Congress, 
in  1796,  passed  an  act  establishing  trading  posts  at  many  points  with  the  humane 
purpose  of  protecting  the  helpless  "sons  of  the  forest"  from  the  rapacity  of  the 
private  traders.  The  agent  in  charge  of  these  posts,  called  the  "factor,"  was  in- 
structed to  deal  justly  and  pay  fairly  for  furs  bought  of  the  Indians. U)  One  sec- 
tion of  the  act  provides  "that  the  prices  of  goods  supplied  to,  and  to  be  paid  for  by 
the  Indians  shall  be  regulated  in  such  manner  that  the  capital  stock  furnished  by  the 
United  States  may  not  be  diminished."  2"  The  sum  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thous- 
and dollars  was  "appropriated  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on  trade  and  intercourse 
with  the  Indian  nations."  Other  provisions  of  the  act  were  that  agents  or  clerks  of 
Indian  trading  houses  were  prohibited  from  carrying  on  trade  on  their  own  account, 
and  that  they  should  not  "purchase  or  receive  of  any  Indian,  in  the  way  of  trade  or 
barter,  a  gun  or  other  article  commonly  used  in  hunting,  any  instrument  of  hus- 
bandry or  cooking  utensil  *  *  *  [or]  any  article  of  clothing  (except  skins  or 
furs)."  From  time  to  time  the  law  was  amended  for  the  purpose  of  appropriating 
larger  sums  required  for  the  extension  of  the  system.  However,  the  plan  did  not 
work  well.  The  traders  understood  the  Indians  much  better  than  the  factors  ap- 
pointed by  the  government,  having  lived  among  them  and  being  well  acquainted 
with  their  peculiarities.  In  spite  of  the  efforts  made  by  the  factors  to  secure  furs 
from  the  Indians,  the  latter  preferred  to  deal  with  the  traders.  And  thus,  after  a 
thorough  trial,  the  system  failed  completely  to  fulfill  the  purpose  for  which  it  was 
established.  The  causes  of  the  failure  are  found  in  various  reports,  from  which 
appropriate  quotations  will  be  made. 

FACTORY    AT    CHICAGO 

Soon  after  the  building  of  Fort  Dearborn,  in  1803,  the  government  established 
a  factory  at  this  post.  The  name  of  the  factor  from  that  time  until  1810  "has  not 
been  preserved,"  says  Andreas,  "unless,  as  seems  probable,  Charles  Jouett  was 
both  Indian  agent  and  factor."  In  1811  Jouett  resigned  and  went  to  Kentucky, 

ln  Hurlbut,  "Chicago  Antiquities,"  p.  201. 

20  Joseph  Story:    "Laws  of  the  United  States"   (Boston,   1827),  p.  414. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  115 

as  we  have  seen.  Matthew  Irwin,  Jr.,  then  became  the  factor,  and  discharged  the 
duties  of  Indian  agent  as  well.  It  appears  that  Irwin  left  Chicago  in  July  pre- 
ceding the  abandonment  of  Fort  Dearborn,  just  as  Jouett  had  done  in  the  preced- 
ing year,  and  thus  escaped  the  massacre. 

An  Agency  House  had  been  built  about  the  same  time  that  the  post  was  es- 
tablished, in  1803.  "It  was  situated  a  short  distance  above  the  fort  on  the  same 
side  of  the  river,"  writes  Andreas,  "and  is  described  as  an  old-fashioned  log  build- 
ing with  a  hall  in  the  center,  and  one  large  room  on  each  side.  Porches  extended 
the  whole  length  of  the  building  front  and  rear."  The  Agency  House  shared  the 
same  fate  as  that  of  the  fort  on  the  day  after  the  evacuation  and  massacre,  and 
was  burned  to  the  ground. 

An  Agency  House  was  built  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  in  1816,  at  about 
where  the  north  end  of  State  Street  bridge  is  now  located.  Jacob  B.  Varnum  was 
appointed  factor,  and  at  the  same  time  Judge  Charles  Jouett  again  received  the  ap- 
pointment as  Indian  Agent,  thus  renewing  his  residence  in  Chicago,  which  had 
ceased  five  years  previously  when  he  went  to  Kentucky. 

CAUSES    OF    FAILURE 

A  report  by  Dr.  Jedidiah  Morse  on  Indian  affairs,  made  in  1822,  states  that  in 
1820  there  were  in  the  hands  of  the  factor  at  Chicago  stocks  of  goods  to  the  value 
of  twenty  thousand  dollars;  that  while  the  government  disposes  of  goods  at  cost, 
yet  there  was  only  twenty-five  dollars'  worth  of  furs  taken  in  trade  from  the  In- 
dians in  that  year.  The  reasons  given  are  "that  the  goods  are  inferior  in  quality, 
and  selected  with  less  judgment  than  those  of  the  traders  .  .  .  that,  by  some 
means,  the  Indians  had  not  confidence  in  the  Government  as  fair  and  upright  in 
their  trade."  :  There  was  no  reflection  in  the  report  on  the  integrity  of  the  agent, 
but  the  fact  that  the  Indians  preferred  dealing  with  the  traders  was  considered 
good  evidence  that  they  had  not  been  exorbitant  in  their  prices  nor  had  they  intimi- 
dated the  Indians  in  any  way,  and  that  the  Indians  had  had  perfect  liberty  to  trade 
with  one  or  the  other,  as  they  pleased. 

The  traders,  however,  had  the  great  advantage  over  the  Government  factors  in 
being  able  to  supply  the  Indians  with  liquor,  which  they  freely  did,  although  strictly 
prohibited  by  the  Government.  When  the  Indians  arrived  at  the  posts  with  a  quan- 
tity of  furs,  the  traders  would  keep  them  in  a  state  of  intoxication  so  that  they 
gave  up  their  furs  at  great  sacrifice.  A  return  to  reason  would  often  lead  them  to 
give  the  names  of  the  traders  from  whom  they  had  been  supplied  with  whisky,  but 
as  the  testimony  of  the  Indians  had  no  legal  value,  there  was  not  the  smallest  chance 
of  detection.22 

A  factory  had  been  placed  at  Green  Bay,  Wisconsin,  and  the  experience  of  the 
agent  there  was  in  many  respects  similar  to  that  of  the  agent  in  Chicago.  General 
Albert  G.  Ellis  relates,  in  a  paper  published  in  the  collections  of  the  Wisconsin  His- 
torical Society,  that  he  arrived  in  Green  Bay  in  1822,  and  found  Major  Matthew 
Irwin  in  charge  of  the  factory  there.  He  was  "a  gentleman  of  intelligence,  culture 
and  integrity,"  but  was  totally  unacquainted  with  Indian  trade,  and  not  fitted  to 

21Wis.   His.   Coil's.   Vol.  VII,  p.   287. 
22Hurlbut:    "Chicago  Antiquities,"  p.  203. 


116  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

compete  with  the  traders  who  had  won  the  confidence  and  good-will  of  the  Indians. 
The  stock  carried  by  the  factor  consisted  of  "sleazy  woolen  blankets,  cheap  calico, 
and,  worst  of  all,  poor  unserviceable  guns,"  and  in  the  course  of  four  years  "he  did 
not  secure  fifty  dollars'  worth  of  peltries."  23 

Major  Irwin's  well  meant  efforts  were  frustrated  by  the  crafty  traders.  He 
lured  the  Indians  with  gew-gaws,  presents  and  considerate  treatment,  but  they 
would  only  offer  the  factor  maple  sugar  in  barter  (which  the  traders  would  not 
accept)  and  would  keep  their  furs  for  the  traders.  Ramsey  Crooks,  that  Trojan 
among  fur  traders,  who  was  then  the  agent  at  Mackinac  for  the  American  Fur 
Company,  pointed  out,  in  a  defense  he  made  on  the  occasion  of  an  official  investi- 
gation by  the  government,  that  "the  factories  have  been  furnished  with  goods  of 
a  kind  not  suitable  to  the  Indians."  24 

The  following  letter,  dated  July  5,  1821,  from  Colonel  McKenney,  the  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Indian  Department,  to  Major  Irwin,  is  printed  in  the  Collections 
of  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Society.  "Sir: — I  have  the  honor  respectfully  to  rep- 
resent, that  for  three  years  last  past,  the  two  factories  on  the  lakes,  one  at  Chi- 
cago, the  other  at  Green  Bay,  have  been  in  a  measure  useless  to  the  Indians,  and, 
in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view,  to  the  Government  also.  .  .  .The  continuation  of 
the  same  inactivity  which  has  hitherto  characterized  the  business  at  these  two  fac- 
tories promising  to  make  inroads  upon  the  fund  allotted  for  the  trade,  I  do  not  feel 
myself  authorized  further  to  delay  a  decision  on  the  subject;  .  .  .  it  is  to 
break  up  and  discontinue  the  two  factories  located  at  Chicago  and  Green  Bay."  25 

"FACTORIES"  CLOSED 

In  1822,  the  trading  houses,  or  "factories,"  were  ordered  to  be  closed  by  Con- 
gress, and  the  goods  on  hand  to  be  sold.  The  proceeds  were  to  be  applied  towards 
the  payment  of  annuities  due  to  the  Indian  tribes.  This  ended  the  "Factory  Sys- 
tem," so  called,  which,  instead  of  fulfilling  the  philanthropic  purpose  intended  by 
it,  had  proved  a  total  failure.26 

The  act  passed  by  Congress,  May  6,  1822,  which  ordered  the  closing  of  the 
Indian  Trading  Posts,  contained  the  provision  that  it  should  be  "continued  in  force 
for  the  purpose  only  of  enforcing  all  bonds,  debts,  contracts,  demands,  and  rights, 
which  may  have  arisen,  .  .  .  and  for  the  settlement  of  the  accounts  of  the 
superintendent,  factors  and  subfactors,  at  the  Treasury  Department."  2T 

The  observation  may  be  made,  suggested  by  the  failure  of  the  benevolent  inten- 
tions of  our  government  in  the  matter  of  Indian  trading  posts,  that  however  praise- 
worthy the  motives  may  be,  "it  must  always  be  remembered,"  says  Mr.  Theodore 
Roosevelt  in  a  late  magazine  article  in  reference  to  the  negro  tribes  of  Africa, 
"that  a  fussy  and  ill-considered  benevolence  is  more  sure  to  awaken  resentment 
than  cruelty  itself;  while  the  natives  are  apt  to  resent  deeply  even  things  that  are 
obviously  for  their  ultimate  welfare." 

23  Wisconsin   Hist.   Coll.   Vol.  VII,   p.   222. 

24  Wis.  Hist.   Soc'y  Proceedings,   1899,   p.   124. 
25Wis.  Hist.  Coll.  Vol.  VII,  p  281. 

26  Hurlbut,  "Chicago  Antiquities,"   p.  201. 

27  Story's   "Laws  of  the   United   States"    (Boston,   1827),   p.    1844. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  117 

While  "resentment"  probably  played  no  part  in  the  failure  of  the  "Factory 
System,"  yet,  what  was  equally  effective,  neglect  and  indifference  did;  and. when 
Congress  at  last  discontinued  the  system,  in  disgust,  the  dreams  of  many  benevolent 
well-wishers  of  the  savages  were  shattered. 

THE    NORTHERN    BOUNDARY    OF    ILLINOIS 

There  was  a  period  in  the  legislation  preliminary  to  the  admission  of  the  State 
of  Illinois  into  the  Union  in  1818,  when  the  boundaries  of  the  proposed  state  were 
fixed  so  that  its  northern  extension  went  no  farther  than  an  east  and  west  line 
touching  the  southern  end  of  Lake  Michigan.28  This  line  had  not  been  surveyed, 
but  it  was  afterwards  described  as  forty-one  degrees  and  thirty-nine  minutes  of 
north  latitude.29  This  description  was  used  in  the  first  draft  of  the  Enabling  Act 
when  the  bill  was  introduced  into  Congress,  April  7,  1818.  While  under  consider- 
ation in  the  committee  of  the  whole,  the  congressional  delegate  from  -Illinois  Ter- 
ritory, Nathaniel  Pope,  moved  an  amendment  to  the  bill  by  striking  out  that  part 
which  defined  the  boundaries  of  the  new  state,  and  inserted  instead  the  following: 

"Beginning  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash  River;  thence  up  the  same,  and  with 
the  line  of  Indiana  to  the  northwest  corner  of  said  state;  thence  east  with  the  line 
of  the  same  state  to  the  middle  of  Lake  Michigan ;  thence  north  along  the  middle  of 
said  lake  to  north  latitude  forty-two  degrees,  thirty  minutes;  thence  west  to  the 
middle  of  the  Mississippi  River;  and  thence  down  along  the  middle  of  that  river  to 
its  confluence  with  the  Ohio  river;  and  thence  up  the  latter  river  along  its  north- 
western shore  to  the  beginning."  80 

ORIGINAL    PROVISION    OF    THE    ORDINANCE 

By  the  Ordinance  of  1787  there  were  to  be  not  less  than  three  nor  more  than 
five  states  formed  from  the  Northwest  Territory  created  under  that  Ordinance.  In 
case  there  should  be  only  three  states  formed,  the  Ordinance  specified  that  the  west- 
ern, middle  and  eastern  states,  as  they  were  described,  should  have  certain  bound- 
aries, with  this  proviso: 

"It  is  further  understood  and  declared,  that  the  boundaries  of  these  three  states 
shall  be  subject  so  far  to  be  altered,  that  if  Congress  shall  hereafter  find  it  ex- 
pedient, they  shall  have  authority  to  form  one  or  two  states  in  that  part  of  the  said 
territorj'  which  lies  north  of  an  east  and  west  line  drawn  through  the  southerly 
bend  or  extreme  of  Lake  Michigan."  Before  the  formation  of  States,  however, 
there  were  territorial  divisions.  When  the  Territory  of  Illinois  came  to  be  formed 
in  1809,  the  boundaries  were  established  on  the  same  lines  as  those  of  the  present 
State  of  Illinois,  except  that  the  territory  extended  northwards  to  'the  line  between 
Canada  and  the  United  States.31 

FAR-REACHING    RESULTS    OF    THE    AMENDMENT 

The  effect  of  Pope's  amendment  was  to  include  within  the  limits  of  the  pro- 
posed new  state  of  Illinois,  a  strip  of  country  sixty-one  miles  in  width,  extending 

28  Ordinance  of  1787,  Article  V. 

29  Moses:     "Illinois,"  p.  276,  Vol.  I. 

30  Annals  of  Congress,  1818,  p.  1677. 

31  Illinois  Territorial  Organization   Act,   1809,  section   i. 


118  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

from  Lake  Michigan  to  the  Mississippi  river,  containing  an  area  of  eight  thou- 
sand, five  hundred  square  miles  of  fertile  country  diversified  with  forests  and  rivers, 
within  the  limits  of  which  at  the  present  time  are  located  fourteen  counties  with 
many  populous  and  prosperous  cities.  Among  these  may  be  mentioned  the  cities 
of  Chicago,  Evanston,  Waukegan,  Elgin,  Aurora,  Rockford,  Freeport,  Oregon,  Ster- 
ling, Dixon,  Fulton  and  Galena.32 

In  presenting  this  amendment,  Mr.  Pope  explained  its  object,  and  urged  its 
adoption  for  the  following  reasons,  which  are  admirably  summarized  by  Moses  in 
his  history  of  Illinois,  as  follows :  "That  the  proposed  new  state  by  reason  of  her 
geographical  position  even  more  than  on  account  of  the  fertility  of  her  soil,  was 
destined  to  become  populous  and  influential;  that  if  her  northern  boundary  was 
fixed  by  a  line  arbitrarily  established,  rather  than  naturally  determined,  and  hel 
commerce  was  to  be  confined  to  that  great  artery  of  communication,  the  Mississippi, 
which  washed  her  entire  western  border,  and  to  its  chief  tributary  on  the  south, 
the  Ohio,  there  was  a  possibility  that  her  commercial  relations  with  the  south  might 
become  so  closely  connected  that  in  the  event  of  an  attempted  dismemberment  of 
the  Union,  Illinois  would  cast  her  lot  with  the  southern  states.  On  the  other  hand 
to  fix  the  northern  boundary  of  Illinois  upon  such  a  parallel  of  latitude  as  would 
give  to  the  state  territorial  jurisdiction  over  the  southwestern  shores  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan, would  be  to  unite  the  incipient  commonwealth  to  the  states  of  Indiana,  Ohio, 
Pennsylvania,  and  New  York  in  a  bond  of  common  interest  well-nigh  indissoluble' 
By  the  adoption  of  such  a  line,  Illinois  might  become  at  some  future  time  the 
keystone  to  the  perpetuity  of  the  Union. 

"The  feasibility  of  opening  a  canal  between  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Illinois  river 
was  admitted  by  every  one  who  had  inspected  the  location  and  given  the  subject 
consideration.  If  the  port  of  Chicago  were  included  within  the  boundaries  of  the 
proposed  state,  the  attention  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  latter  would  naturally  be  di- 
rected to  the  opening  up  of  a  water-way  between  the  river  named  and  the  great 
fresh-water  sea,  and  the  early  improvement  of  the  entire  region.  The  successful 
prosecution  of  such  an  enterprise  would  not  only  open  up  new  channels  of  trade,  but 
would  tend  to  bind  together  the  East  and  West  by  a  chain  whose  links  would  be 
welded  together 'not  only  by  friendship  but  by  a  community  of  interest.  And  thus 
with  common  ties,  and  interests  reaching  out  to  the  East  as  well  as  the  South,  an 
equilibrium  of  sentiment  would  be  established,  which  would  forever  oppose  the  for- 
mation of  separate  and  independent  confederacies  on  the  north,  south,  east  or  west." 

The  arguments  of  Mr.  Pope  carried  conviction  with  them  and  the  amendment 
was  adopted,  without  a  division,  on  April  18,  1818,  and  thus  the  northern  boundary 
of  the  state  was  established  where  it  is  today.  Moses,  in  speaking  of  Pope's  action, 
says :  "The  securing  of  the  adoption  of  the  above  important  amendment,  fraught 
with  such  material  results,  was  of  his  own  motion,  and  on  his  own  responsibility, 
without  the  instruction  or  advice  of  his  constituents." 

POPE'S   PROPHETIC    VISION 

When  we  reflect  that  the  region  affected  by  Pope's  amendment  was  as  yet  an  al- 
most unbroken  wilderness,  that  the  advantageous  position  of  Chicago  and  its  con- 

12Thwaites'  Essays,  "Division  of  the  Northwest,"  p.  105. 


Courtesy  of  Illinois  State  Historical  Society 


XATIIAXIKL   POPE 

By  his  activity  as  delegate  to  Congress  in  1818, 
when  Illinois  was  admitted  as  a  state  into  the 
Union.  Pope  amended  the  hill  for  admission  so  that 
the  state  of  Illinois  should  include  a  strip  of  land 
sixty -one  miles  wide  .along  its  northern  boundary, 
this  sixty-one  mile  strip  being  additional  to  the 
territory  already  included  in  the  state  by  the  pro- 
visions of  the  bill. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  119 

tiguous  territory  was  only  a  matter  of  speculation,  we  must  recognize  in  Pope's 
action  in  proposing  and  urging  the  adoption  of  his  amendment  the  work  of  a  keen 
and  far-sighted  statesman.  "No  man,"  says  Moses,  "ever  rendered  the  state  a  more 
important  service  in  Congress  than  did  Nathaniel  Pope."  That  the  fixing  of  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  state  where  it  is  today  had  momentous  consequences  can 
he  seen  in  the  subsequent  history  of  the  state.  Had  the  northern  tier  of  counties 
included  within  the  sixty-one  mile  strip  become  attached  to  Wisconsin,  as  it  inevit- 
ably would  have  been,  the  state  of  Illinois  would  have  lacked,  when  issues  of  tre- 
mendous moment  were  at  stake,  an  important  element  in  her  legislature  at  the  time 
of  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War,  an  element  that  Wisconsin  did  not  require,  as 
the  Union  sentiment  in  that  state  was  at  all  times  very  strong.  Whether  or  not 
the  splendid  support  given  to  the  Union  cause  by  the  state  of  Illinois  was  of  such 
importance  as  to  justify  Pope's  declaration,  when  arguing  for  his  amendment,  that 
the  state  might  become  "the  keystone  to  the  perpetuity  of  the  Union,"  may  be  re- 
garded differently  by  historians.  But  the  commanding  position  occupied  by  Illinois 
during  the  Civil  War  "with  one  of  its  citizens  in  the  Presidential  chair  and  another 
leading  its  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  citizen  soldiery  and  the  armies  of  the 
Union."  went  far  to  make  good  the  claim  made  by  Pope  in  his  declaration.  The 
part  taken  by  Pope  in  the  boundary  matter  well  illustrates  what  has  been  called  his 
"almost  superhuman  sagacity." 

EX-SENATOR    DOOLITTLE's    HUMOROUS    REFERENCE 

• 

When  the  great  Sanitary  Canal  was  opened  with  considerable  pomp  and  cere- 
mony on  the  2d  of  January,  1900,  Hon.  James  R.  Doolittle,  formerly  United  States 
Senator  from  Wisconsin,  made  one  of  the  speeches.  In  the  course  of  his  remarks 
he  said:  "I  rejoice  to  be  here,  and  I  pray  God  that  I  may  live,  though  I  am  past 
seventy  years  of  age,  to  see  this  work  completed  and  this  great  waterway  established 
between  the  lakes  and  rivers.  I  say  it  with  just  as  much  earnestness  as  if  all  my 
interests  were  identified  with  Chicago.  I  still  live  in  Wisconsin.  I  live  in  the  state 
to  which  Chicago  belongs  according  to  the  Ordinance  of  1787.  (Laughter  and  ap- 
plause.) I  sometimes  give  an  excuse  to  those  gentlemen  who  ask  me,  'why  is  it  you 
practice  law  in  Chicago,  and  yet  live  in  Wisconsin?'  I  tell  them  that  by  the  Ordi- 
nance of  1787  Chicago  belongs  to  Wisconsin,  and  I  have  a  right  to  be  there." 

A  DECISIVE   DATE    IN   CHICAGO    HISTORY 

The  northern  boundary  line  established  by  Pope's  amendment  was  one  of  the 
most  important  events  in  the  annals  of  Illinois.  It  is  named  by  Miss  Lottie  Jones, 
in  her  "Decisive  Dates  of  Illinois  History,"  as  one  of  the  five  events  which  were 
decisive  in  their  character ;  and,  as  this  event  affected  the  region  which  in  later  years 
became  the  site  of  the  great  city  of  Chicago,  it  may  be  especially  considered  a  de- 
cisive date  in  Chicago  history. 

SKETCH    OF    POPE 

Nathaniel  Pope  was  born  in  1784  at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  was  educated  at 
Transylvania  University,  at  Lexington,  graduating  with  high  honors.  In  1809  he 
was  appointed  the  first  secretary  of  Illinois  Territory.  He  was  elected  a  delegate 


120  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

to  Congress  in  1816.  After  the  admission  of  Illinois  as  a  state,  he  was  made  United 
States  Judge  of  the  District,  which  then  embraced  the  entire  state.  He  was  the 
father  of  Major-General  John  Pope,  one  of  the  generals  of  the  Civil  War.  Pope 
County  in  this  state  was  named  in  his  honor.  He  died  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  at 
the  home  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Lucretia  Yeatman,  in  1850.  His  character  is  summed 
up  by  Moses,  as  follows:  "He  was  a  profound  lawyer,  an  able  legislator,  a  dig- 
nified and  upright,  yet  a  courteous  judge,  and  wore  the  ermine  for  over  thirty  years 
without  a  stain." 


CHAPTER  VII 

EARLY  VISITORS  AND  RESIDENTS 

VIEW      OF     EARLY      CHICAGO ALEXANDER     ROBINSON CHILLY      CALDWELL SHABBONA 

JOHN    KINZIE    CLARK THE    CLYBOURNS JAMES    GALLOWAY DR.    ALEXANDER    WOL- 

COTT OTHER      RESIDENTS MAJOR     STEPHEN      H.      LONG SCHOOLCRAFT*S     VISIT     TO 

CHICAGO C.  C.  TROWBRIDGE EBENEZER  CHILDS -FONDA  AT  CHICAGO MAIL  CAR- 
RIERS OF  THE  EARLY  DAY MAIL  ROUTES ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  U.  S.  POST  OF- 
FICE  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE. 

VIEW    OF    EARLY    CHICAGO 

HIS  may  be  a  good  place  to  stop  a  moment  and  review  the  settlement  of 
Chicago  as  it  was  at  different  periods  of  its  growth  until  1828  or  there- 
abouts. At  the  beginning  of  the  century  we  saw  on  the  north  bank  of 
the  river  four  small  dwellings,  one  owned  and  occupied  by  Le  Mai,  an- 
other by  Antoine  Ouilmette,  and  a  third  by  one  Pettell.  Le  Mai  sold  his 
house  to  John  Kinzie,  who  came  in  1804,  soon  after  Captain  Whistler  had  arrived  to 
build  and  occupy  the  fort.  On  the  South  Branch  Charles  Lee  settled  not  long  af- 
terward at  the  place  that  was  known  as  Hardscrabble.  In  1812  came  the  massacre, 
and  from  that  time  until  the  rebuilding  of  the  fort  in  1816,  the  place  was  deserted 
by  all  save  Ouilmette  and  his  family,  M.  Du  Pin,  a  French  trader  who  was  there  for 
a  short  time,  and  Alexander  Robinson,  who  settled  at  Chicago  in  1814  and  with 
Ouilmette  planted  the  garden  of  the  former  fort  with  Indian  corn.  The  officers  who 
came  to  rebuild  the  fort  in  1816  found  these  last  two  living  there,  besides  John 
Dean,  an  army  contractor  who  came  in  1815,  and  possibly  Judge  Jouett,  who,  as 
stated  by  his  daughter  many  years  later,  had  come  as  Indian  agent  a  short  time  be- 
fore the  fort  was  reoccupied.  With  the  new  garrison  came  settlers  to  this  spot  now 
protected  by  United  States  troops,  and  Chicago  began  to  have  the  appearance  of 
an  active  frontier  village.  When  the  inhabitants  were  few,  each  one  was  a  person 
of  prominence,  and  we  can  pick  them  out  and  call  them  by  name.  The  Beaubiens, 
as  we  have  seen,  were  early  comers;  another  was  John  Kinzie  Clark,  arriving  in 
1816;  a  few  years  later  came  his  stepbrother,  Archibald  Clybourn,  followed  soon 
afterward  by  his  parents;  and  in  1826  James  Galloway  brought  his  family  to 
Chicago.  Here  is  the  community,  then,  in  its  second  beginnings.  The  natural  re- 
sult was  the  arrival  of  visitors  and  traders,  among  them  Major  Stephen  H.  Long, 
passing  through  Chicago  after  an  expedition  west  of  the  Mississippi;  Judge  Stor- 
row  whose  visit  is  described  in  the  previous  chapter;  Ebenezer  Childs,  a  trader  from 
Green  Bay;  Schoolcraft  and  Trowbridge,  coming  in  Governor  Cass*  expedition  in 
1820;  John  H.  Fonda,  a  rover  through  this  new  West.  Seeing  much  of  the  inhabi- 
tants, it  is  quite  natural  that  we  find  out,  little  by  little,  the  story  of  each  one. 

121 


122  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

ALEXANDER    ROBINSON 

Among  the  notable  residents  of  early  Chicago  there  were  three  Indians,  of  great 
influence  among  their  own  people,  and  firm  in  their  friendship  to  the  Americans,  bv 
whom  their  services  were  highly  appreciated.  These  three  "good  Indians"  were 
Alexander  Robinson,  Billy  Caldwell,  called  the  Sauganash,  and  Shabbona,  each  one 
with  a  history  closely  connected  with  that  of  former  days  in  Chicago. 

Alexander  Robinson  was  a  chief  of  the  P Ottawa ttomies,  his  mother  being  an  In- 
dian and  his  father  a  British  officer  at  Mackinac.  He  was  in  Chicago  now  and  then 
as  early  as  1809  for  trading  purposes,  and  in  1812  he  was  one  of  the  chiefs  friendly 
to  the  whites,  who,  just  before  the  massacre,  tried  to  dissuade  the  young  braves  from 
their  intention  to  kill  the  occupants  of  Fort  Dearborn.  After  the  evacu-ition  and 
massacre,  he  took  the  Kinzie  family  to  St.  Joseph  in  a  boat  1  and,  that  done,  he  es- 
corted Captain  and  Mrs.  Heald  in  a  canoe  on  to  Mackinac,  where  the  captain  sur- 
rendered to  the  commandant.-  Later  he  afforded  a  home  to  the  Kinzie  family,  who 
took  refuge  with  him  at  St.  Joseph  after  their  escape  from  Chicago. 

In  1814,  it  is  told,  he  returned  to  Chicago,  finding  here  but  one  white  man,  An- 
toine  Ouilmette.  "The  year  following  (1815),  it  is  stated  that  these  two  were  the 
only  white  men  here,  and  the  grounds  of  the  late  fort,  both  that  year  and  in  1816, 
were  planted  by  them  with  Indian  corn.  When  Major  Bradley  arrived,  in  1816,  to 
construct  the  new  fort,  he  paid  Messrs.  Ouilmette  and  Robinson  for  their  field  of 
corn.  At  that  time  it  is  stated  that  Alec  and  his  Indian  wife  lived  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river,  near  the  intersection  of  the  present  Dearborn  and  Kinzie  Streets."  3 
In  the  assessment  roll  of  the  assessor  of  Peoria  County,  for  1825,  the  property  of 
Robinson  was  valued  at  $200. 4  He  then  owned  a  cabin  at  Hardscrabble  on  the 
South  Branch,  which  he  offered  as  a  residence  to  Mr.  Galloway,  when  the  latter 
brought  his  family  to  Chicago.  "He  served  in  1823  and  1826  as  Indian  interpreter 
under  Dr.  Wolcott,  at  a  salary  of  $365,  during  the  latter  year.  He  is  recorded  as 
a  voter  in  1825,  1826  and  1830,  and  on  June  8  of  the  latter  year  was  licensed  to 
keep  tavern  in  Chicago.  He  had  owned  prior  to  this  time  a  cabin  or  trading-post 
at  Hardscrabble,  but  vacated  it  before  1826.  On  September  28,  1826,  he  was  mar- 
ried by  John  Kinzie,  J.  P.,  to  Catherine  Chevalier,  daughter  of  Francois  and  Mary 
Ann  Chevalier.  Francois  Chevalier  was  chief  of  a  united  band  of  Pottawattomies, 
Ottawas  and  Chippewas,  with  his  village  at  the  Calumet.  At  his  death  Robinson 
became  chief  of  the  band.  At  the  treaty  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  July,  1829,  he  was 
granted  two  sections  of  land  on  the  Desplaines ;  by  the  treaty  of  Camp  Tippecanoe, 
October  20,  1832,  a  life  annuity  of  $200,  and  by  the  Chicago  treaty  of  September. 
1833,  an  additional  annuity  of  $300.  His  exertions,  with  those  of  Billy  Caldwell, 
prevented  the  tribe  from  joining  the  Sauks  in  the  Winnebago  War  of  1827,  and 
Black  Hawk  in  1832.  During  the  latter  part  of  his  residence  in  Chicago,  he  lived 
at  Wolf  Point,  where  he  had  a  store  or  trading-house.  After  the  Indians  were  re- 
moved beyond  the  Mississippi,  he  settled  with  his  family  on  his  reservation  on  the 
Desplaines,  where  he  lived  until  his  death,  which  occurred  April  22,  1872.  His 

1  Andreas:   I,  p.  97. 

2  "Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,"  VII,  p.  328. 

3  Hurlbut's  "Chicago   Antiquities,"   p.  452. 

4  Fergus'  Historical  Series,  VII,  p.  16. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  123 

wife  died  August  7,  1860.     They  were  both,  with  two  sons  and  a  daughter-in-law, 
buried  on  the  bank  of  the  river  near  the  old  home."  u 

BILLY     CALDWELL 

A  second  member  of  this  group  of  Indians  was  one  whose  education,  judgment, 
liberality  and  public  spirit  gave  him  an  honored  place  among  those  who  knew  him. 
This  was  Billy  Caldwell.6  He  was  born  in  Canada,  about  the  year  1780.  "His 
father  was  an  Irish  officer  in  the  British  military  service,  and  his  mother  a  Potta- 
wattomie.  .  .  .  Caldwell,  in  his  youth,  received  from  the  Jesuit  fathers  at  Detroit 
a  good  education.  He  spoke  with  fluency,  and  wrote  with  facility,  both  the  Eng- 
lish and  French  languages,  and  was  also  master  of  several  Indian  dialects.  Na- 
ture was  also  lavish  in  her  gifts  to  him,  not  only  in  mental  capacity,  but  in  a  fine 
physique,  a  strong,  sinewy  frame,  straight  as  an  arrow;  in  early  manhood  his  ap- 
pearance was  so  commanding  when  engaged  in  strife  with  his  foes,  that  his  fellow 
Indian  braves  gave  him  the  title  of  the  'Straight  Tree.'  The  Indian  name,  how- 
ever, by  which  he  was  generally  known  was  'The  Sauganash,'  or  'The  Britisher,' 
but  this  name  of  'Sauganash'  was  generally  given  to  all  Englishmen  by  the  Indian 
tribes  formerly  resident  of  this  section,  when  speaking  of  them  individually." 

For  several  years  Caldwell  was  closely  connected  with  Tecumseh — until  the 
death  of  the  latter  at  the  Battle  of  Thames  in  1813.  He  acted  as  his  interpreter 
when  in  council  with  the  whites,  as  well  as  his  supporter  in  plans  for  consolidating 
the  Indian  tribes  of  the  West  and  Southwest,  and  for  mitigating  the  horrors  of  sav- 
age warfare.  Even  while  nominally  an  enemy  to  the  Americans  and  an  ally,  with 
Tecumseh,  of  the  British,  we  have  seen  how  his  friendship  to  certain  ones,  and  his 
humanity,  saved  those  still  about  Fort  Dearborn  after  the  massacre.  Just  when  he 
became  an  avowed  friend  of  the  American  cause  is  not  known,  but  in  about  1820 
he  fixed  his  residence  at  Chicago.  His  name  appears  in  the  voting  lists  of  1826  and 
1830,  and  he  is  recorded  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1826,  and  as  clerk  of  elections 
at  various  times.  In  1827  he  worked  hard  with  his  tribe,  the  Pottawattomies,  to 
prevent  them  from  joining  with  the  Winnebagoes  against  the  white  people,  and  again 
in  1832  prevented  their  joining  Black  Hawk  in  his  war  against  the  Americans.  For 
his  valuable  services  as  mediator  and  interpreter  the  government  made  him  grants 
of  land  and  money,  and  in  1828  built  for  him  probably  the  first  frame  house  in  the 
Northwest,  which  was  destroyed  in  the  Great  Fire.  Formerly  it  stood  on  Indiana 
Street,  whither  it  had  been  moved  from  the  corner  of  North  State  Street  and  Chi- 
cago Avenue.  He  was  always  anxious  for  the  improvement  of  his  people,  hoping 
that  they  would  adopt  the  dress  and  customs  of  the  white  people.  At  one  time  dur- 
ing his  residence  in  Chicago,  he  offered  to  pay  the  tuition  and  buy  books  and  clothes 
for  any  Indian  children  who  would  go  to  school  and  adopt  the  American  way  of 
dressing.  There  were  none,  however,  who  accepted  the  condition. 

When  the  gpvernment,  in  1835,  decreed  the  removal  of  the  Indians  occupying 
this  region  to  lands  assigned  them  near  Council  Bluffs,  it  was  Caldwell's  influence, 
and  his  agreement  to  accompany  them  to  their  new  home,  that  persuaded  them  to 
leave  their  old  dwellings  and  hunting  grounds.  Owing  to  his  management  the  re- 

5  Andreas:   I,  108. 

6  Fergus'   Historical    Series,   10,   31. 


124  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

moval  was  a  peaceable  one,  and  under  Captain  J.  B.  F.  Russell,  the  Government 
agent,  and  Caldwell,  2500  Indians  made  the  journey  to  Council  Bluffs,  the  caval- 
cade gathering  along  the  way,  as  it  went,  other  bands  with  the  same  destiny  before 
them. 

At  Council  Bluffs  Billy  Caldwell  lived  with  the  Indians  until  his  death  in  1841, 
joining  in  their  councils  and  directing  them  in  ways  of  peace  with  their  neighbors 
on  adjoining  reservations.  He  was  always  interested  in  the  public  affairs  of  the 
country,  and  at  the  time  of  Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison's  presidential  campaign 
in  1840,  when  party  bitterness  led  to  personal  libel,  Caldwell  and  his  friend  Shab- 
bona  wrote  from  the  western  reservation,  as  follows: 

Council  Bluffs,  March  23d,  1840. 
To  Gen.  Harrison's  Friends: 

The  other  day,  several  newspapers  were  brought  to  us;  and,  peeping  over  them, 
to  our  astonishment,  we  found  that  the  hero  of  the  late  war  was  called  a  coward. 
This  would  have  surprised  the  tall  braves,  Tecumseh  of  the  Shawnees,  and  Round 
Head  and  Walk-in-the-Water  of  the  Wyandotts.  If  the  departed  could  rise  again, 
they  would  say  to  the  white  man  that  Gen.  Harrison  was  the  terror  of  the  late  toma- 
hawkers.  The  first  time  we  got  acquainted  with  General  Harrison,  it  was  at  the 
council-fire  of  the.  late  Old  Tempest,  Gen.  Wayne,  on  the  headquarters  of  the  Wa- 
bash,  at  Greensville,  1796.  From  that  time  until  1811,  we  had  many  friendly  smokes 
with  him;  but  from  1812  we  changed  our  tobacco  smoke  into  powder  smoke.  Then 
we  found  Gen.  Harrison  was  a  brave  warrior  and  humane  to  his  prisoners,  as  re- 
ported to  us  by  two  of  Tecumseh's  young  men,  who  were  taken  in  the  fleet  with 
Capt.  Barclay  on  the  10th  of  September,  1813,  and  on  the  Thames,  where  he  routed 
both  the  red  men  and  the  British,  and  where  he  showed  his  courage  and  his  hu- 
manity to  his  prisoners,  both  white  and  red.  See  report  of  Adam  Brown  and  fam- 
ily, taken  on  the  morning  of  the  battle  October  5th,  1813.  We  are  the  only  two 
surviving  of  that  day  in  this  country.  We  hope  the  good  white  men  will  protect 
the  name  of  Gen.  Harrison.  We  remain  your  friends  forever. 

CHAMBLEE    [Shabbona],  Aid   to    Tecumseh. 
B.   CALDWELL    [Sauganash],   Captain.7 

Billy  Caldwell  had  in  Chicago  a  memorial  of  himself  in  the  hotel  which  Mark 
Beaubien  built  and  called  the  Sauganash,  in  honor  of  a  "great  man."  The  Saugan- 
ash stood  at  the  present  crossing  of  Lake  and  Market  Streets,  the  gathering  place 
for  many  years  of  town  merrymakers  and  visitors  to  the  city.  There  the  proprie- 
tor of  the  early  day,  Mark  Beaubien  himself,  frequently  entertained  his  guests  by 
playing  on  his  fiddle,  the  guests  dancing  and  singing;  and  there  the  first  theatre 
in  Chicago  was  opened  in  1837.  The  hotel  stood  until  1851,  when  it  was  destroyed 
by  fire.  8 

SHABBONA 

A  picturesque  figure  who  for  many  years  was  frequently  seen  at  Chicago  was 
Shabbona,9  who  came  from  his  home  near  Ottawa  to  attend  councils,  visit  his  friends, 

7  Fergus:  16,  61. 

8  Andreas:  History  of  Chicago,   I,  474. 
"  Fergus :   10,   34. 


By  permission  of  Chicago  Historical  Socttty 

SHABBONA 

An  Indian  who  was  friendly  to  the  Americans,  and 
who  was  often  seen  about  Chicago  in  the  early  days. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  125 

and  finally,  in  his  old  age,  to  be  good-naturedly  railed  at  and  made  much  of  by 
those  among  whom  he  was  well  known.  Shabbona  was  the  son  of  an  Ottawa  Indian 
who  had  fought  with  Pontiac  in  all  his  wars.  He  was  born  in  Ohio  about  1775. 
When  a  very  young  man  he  married  a  Pottawattomie  girl,  and  lived  with  her  family 
on  the  Illinois  river  M  few  miles  above  the  present  town  of  Ottawa.  Afterwards  he 
moved  to  a  spot  about  25  miles  north  of  Ottawa  (later  called  Shabbona  Grove), 
where  he  and  his  band  had  their  village  and  council  house.  There  he  lived  until 
1837,  when  he  took  his  family,  including  two  wives,  children,  grandchildren  and 
nephews,  to  the  western  land  assigned  by  the  government  to  Indians. 

In  1810  he  and  the  Sauganash  were  sent  by  Tecumseh  on  missions  to  incite  In- 
dians of  neighboring  tribes  "to  join  in  his  great  consolidated  scheme  of  hostility 
against  the  white  men  in  order  to  check  their  further  encroachments  upon  Indian 
territory."  After  the  death  of  Tecumseh  at  the  battle  of  the  Thames,  Shabbona 
lost  all  faith  in  the  British,  and  acknowledged  himself  under  the  authority  of  the 
United  States.  In  1832,  when  Black  Hawk  was  urging  the  consolidation  of  the 
tribes  against  the  increasing  number  of  white  settlers,  so  eloquent  were  the  appeals 
of  Shabbona  and  Billy  Caldwell  that  only  one  Pottawattomie  chief  spoke  in  favor 
of  such  a  union.  "In  that  council,  Shabbona,  in  answer  to  that  fervent  appeal  of 
Black  Hawk  for  union,  and  his  figurative  assertion  that  such  an  union  would  give 
them  an  army  of  warriors  equal  in  number  to  the  trees  of  the  forest,  replied:  'Yes, 
and  the  army  of  the  pale  faces  you  will  have  to  encounter  will  be  as  numerous  as 
the  leaves  on  those  trees.'  "  Though  unsuccessful  in  securing  the  aid  of  the  Pot- 
tawattomies,  owing  to  the  powerful  influence  among  them  of  the  Sauganash,  Shab- 
bona, Alexander  Robinson  and  others,  Black  Hawk  commenced  hostilities,  making 
preparations  for  a  foray  upon  the  settlements.  "This  Shabbona  foresaw;  and  here 
the  goodness  of  his  heart,  his  humanity,  and  desire  to  avert  the  horrors  of  savage 
warfare,  are  shown  in  the  arduous  and  disinterested  efforts  made  by  him  in  be- 
half of  the  few  white  settlers  so  soon  to  be  exposed  to  savage  fury.  Immediately 
he  sent  his  son  and  nephew  to  notify  the  scattered  settlers  on  the  Fox  river,  and  at 
Holderman's  Grove,  of  their  real  danger,  urging  them  in  all  haste  to  leave  their 
homes,  and  seek  the  sheltering  walls  of  the  fort  at  Ottawa.  The  old  chief  him- 
self undertook  the  task  on  his  mission  of  mercy,  to  warn  the  settlers  of  Bureau  and 
Indian  Creek  of  their  great  danger.  His  appearance  on  that  16th  day  of  May, 
riding  at  full  speed,  bareheaded,  his  pony  heated  and  jaded  by  the  long  ride  through 
the  scattered  settlements,  has  been  well  described  by  other  writers."  A  small  num- 
ber only  took  no  heed  of  the  warning,  and  a  few  hours  afterward  were  murdered 
by  savages. 

Shabbona,  with  other  Indians  and  half-breeds,  received  land  according  to  the. 
terms  of  the  treaty  of  1830,  and  located  his  two  sections  to  include  his  old  home  in 
the  Grove  north  of  Ottawa.  A  few  years  later,  while  he  and  his  family  were  absent 
in  Kansas,  a  survey  of  public  lands  lying  north  of  the  old  Indian  boundary  line, 
completely  disregarded  this  claim,  and  Shabbona  was  told  by  the  land  commissioner 
that  he  "had  forfeited  and  lost  his  title  to  the  lands  by  removing  away  from  them ;" 
soon  afterward  he  was  "notified  by  the  Indian  agent  that  by  the  terms  of  the  late 
treaty  all  members  of  his  band,  with  the  exception  of  those  of  his  own  family,  must 
remove  to  their  new  reservations  in  western  Missouri."  Unable  to  part  with  so 
many  of  his  old  associates  he  went  with  them  to  the  reservation.  There  he  found 


126  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

the  hostility  of  Black  Hawk  revived  against  him  and  was  driven  to  seek  safety  in 
returning  to  Illinois  after  a  year's  time.  He  settled  upon  his  land  in  the  Grove  and 
lived  there  in  peace  until  1849,  when  he  again  decided  to  join  his  tribespeople  on 
a.  new  reservation  they  had  occupied  in  Kansas.  After  three  years  he  returned 
with  his  family  to  the  Grove,  to  find  it  occupied  by  strangers  who  drove  him  away 
from  the  spot  that  had  been  his  home  for  more  than  forty  years.  Some  friends 
bought  for  him  a  few  acres  of  timber  near  Morris,  Illinois,  and  there  he  lived  until 
his  death  in  1859.  "He  was  buried  in  the  county  of  Morris,  and  be  it  said  to  the 
shame  of  the  white  men,  no  memorial  stone,  nothing  but  a  piece  of  board  stuck  in 
the  ground,  shows  the  spot  where  lie  the  remains  of  the  best  and  truest  Indian 
friend  which  the  early  settlers  of  Illinois  had  in  the  day  of  their  tribulation." 

Mr.  Gurdon  S.  Hubbard,  whose  good  friend  Shabbona  was,  said  of  that  noble 
Indian  chief  many  years  after  his  death:  "From  my  first  acquaintance  with  him, 
which  began  in  the  fall  of  1818,  to  his  death,  I  was  impressed  with  the  nobleness 
of  his  character.  Physically,  he  was  as  fine  a  specimen  of  a  man  as  I  ever  saw; 
tall,  well  proportioned,  strong  and  active,  with  a  face  expressing  great  strength  of 
mind  and  goodness  of  heart.  Had  he  been  favored  with  the  advantages  of  educa- 
tion, he  might  have  commanded  a  high  position  among  the  men  of  his  day.  He  was 
remarkable  for  his  integrity,  of  a  generous  and  forgiving  nature,  always  hospitable, 
and  until  his  return  from  the  West,  a  strictly  temperate  man,  not  only  himself  ab- 
staining from  all  intoxicating  liquors,  but  influencing  his  people  to  do  the  same. 
He  was  ever  a  friend  to  the  white  settlers,  and  should  be  held  by  them  and  their 
descendants  in  grateful  remembrance.  He  had  an  uncommonly  retentive  memory, 
and  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  western  country.  He  could  readily  draw  on  the  sand 
or  bed  of  ashes  quite  a  correct  map  of  the  whole  district  from  the  lakes  west  to  the 
Missouri  River,  giving  general  courses  of  rivers,  designating  towns  and  places  of 
notoriety,  even  though  he  had  never  seen  them.10 

The  old  settlers  of  Chicago  used  to  see  Shabbona  often  in  Chicago,  where  he  had 
many  friends.  One  of  his  favorite  resorts  in  his  later  years  was  the  old  Northwest- 
ern Railroad  depot  at  the  corner  of  Canal  and  Kinzie  Streets.  There  he  watched 
the  trains  leaving  and  arriving,  regarding  with  great  satisfaction  one  of  the  engines 
in  particular  which  was  named  "Shabbona"  in  his  honor.  As  one  and  another  pas- 
ser-by noticed  him  on  the  platform,  he  would  point  to  the  engine,  then  to  himself 
and  say,  with  a  nod  of  pleased  complacency,  "Engine — Shabbona — me." 


JOHN    KINZIE    CLARK 

John  Kinzie  Clark  was  the  son  of  a  Scotch  trader,  Alexander  Clark,  and  Eliza- 
beth McKenzie,  who  with  her  sister  Margaret  had  been  stolen  from  her  home  in 
Virginia  by  the  Shawnee  Indians  and  brought  up  by  them.11  He  was  born  in 
June,  1792,  near  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  and  grew  up  among  the  Indians,  whose  char- 
acter and  language  it  was  said  he  understood  perfectly.  He  had  a  twin  brother  who 
was  an  aid  to  Tecumseh  at  the  Battle  of  the  Thames,  and  was  there  killed  with  him. 
When  his  mother  found  her  father,  from  whose  house  she  had  been  stolen  years 

10  Gurdon  S.  Hubbard,  p.  155. 

11  Le   Baron:  "History   of   Lake  County."   p.   260. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  127 

before,  she  returned  with  him  to  Virginia,  taking  her  boy  with  her.  Soon  afterward 
she  married  Jonas  Clybourn.  In  about  1816  Clark  came  to  Chicago  as  a  guide, 
there  becoming  engaged  with  James  Kinzie  (his  cousin)  in  trading  with  the  In- 
dians, later  going  to  Milwaukee  to  trade.  In  the  meantime  his  half-brother,  Archi- 
bald Clybourn,  had  come  to  Chicago,  and  the  two  young  men  determined  to  return 
to  Virginia  to  bring  back  with  them  the  father  and  mother.  In  1824  the  whole  fam- 
ily arrived  from  the  East  in  a  lumber  wagon. 

Of  Clark's  first  marriage  to  Madaline  Mirandeau,  a  half-breed,  little  is  told.  In 
1829  he  was  married  to  Permelia,  daughter  of  Stephen  J.  Scott,  who  in  1826  had 
settled  in  what  is  now  Wilmette,12  and  later  removed  to  Naperville. 

During  the  Black  Hawk  War  he  was  a  soldier  at  Fort  Dearborn,  and  afterwards 
was  a  carrier  of  dispatches  from  Gen.  Scott  to  Gen.  Atkinson  at  the  Four  Lakes 
(now  Madison),  Wisconsin.  He  settled  at  Xorthfield,  on  the  North  Branch,  near 
the  present  site  of  Glenview,  and  there  lived  until  his  death.  The  early  settlers  who 
spoke  of  him  in  their  recollections  all  attest  his  famous  prowess  as  a  hunter.  Mr. 
B.  F.  Hill,  a  pioneer  who  died  in  Wilmette  in  1905,  said,  "There  was  a  man  by  the 
name  of  Clark,  known  as  'Indian  Clark*  because  of  his  dark  complexion,  who  lived 
over  west  of  the  North  Branch.  He  kept  about  a  hundred  ponies  that  used  to  run 
over  the  prairie  in  summer,  and  in  the  timber  in  winter,  and  get  their  living  the 
best  the}'  could.  He  was  a  great  hunter,  and  I  recall  seeing  him  on  his  hunting  trips 
with  two  ponies,  one  to  ride  and  the  other  to  pack  his  game  on.  Sometimes  he  re- 
turned with  as  many  as  three  deer,  two  slung  across  the  game  pony  and  the  other 
behind  himself  on  the  riding  pony." 

JONAS    AND    ARCHIBALD    CLYBOURN 

For  the  history  of  the  Clybourn  family,  we  shall  stop  to  recall  some  incidents 
that  have  been  written.  It  will  be  remembered  that  John  Kinzie  rescued  and  took 
from  the  Indians  Margaret  McKenzie,  whom  they  had  captured  as  a  child  in  Vir- 
ginia. By  her  he  had  three  children.  When  at  length  she  found  her  father,  whom 
she  had  not  seen  since  she  was  stolen  away,  she  went  back  to  Virginia  with  him, 
leaving  John  Kinzie,  whom  she  never  met  again.  There  was  a  sister  of  Margaret, 
named  Elizabeth,  who  was  captured  at  the  same  time  by  the  Indians  and  brought 
up  among  them.  She  was  taken  from  them  by  a  man  named  Clark,  a  Scotch  trader 
among  the  Indians,  who  was  the  father  of  her  two  children,  John  K.  and  Elizabeth. 
This  sister  also  went  with  her  father  to  Virginia,  severing  her  connection  with  Clark, 
and  so  we  find  the  two  daughters  with  their  children  in  Virginia.  There  Elizabeth 
finally  married  Jonas  Clybourn,  and  in  August,  1802,  their  eldest  son,  Archibald, 
was  born.  His  half-brother,  John  K.  Clark,  returned  to  Chicago  when  he  grew  up, 
Archibald  following  in  1823;  the  next  year  the  two  young  men  brought  out  here 
the  father  and  mother,  and  the  brother  Henley.  Mrs.  Clybourn  recognized  the  set- 
tlement as  one  she  had  often  seen  when,  as  a  child,  she  had  come  there  at  various 
times  with  the  Indian  who  had  adopted  her,  while  he  traded  his  furs. 

Jonas  Clybourn  and  his  wife  settled  on  the  North  Branch,  and  built  a  long 
house  that  came  to  be  known  as  the  Clybourn  Place,  near  the  present  station  of 

12  Evanston   Historical   Society:   Folio  Records. 


128  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

Cly bourn  Junction.  They  themselves  called  the  place  New  Virginia,  in  memory  of 
their  former  home.  There  the  father  prepared  to  farm  the  bit  of  land  about  his 
house.  With  his  son  he  went  into  the  butchering  business,  starting  a  slaughter 
house  near  their  residence,  and  supplying  Fort  Dearborn  and  the  settlement  with 
meat.  Archibald  Clybourn  went  often  to  the  southern  portion  of  the  state  to  buy 
and  bring  back  the  cattle.  Thus  it  was  that  he  came  to  marry  Mary  Galloway, 
whose  father's  home  on  the  Illinois  river  was  one  of  the  young  man's  stopping 
places  13  To  his  parents'  house  he  brought  his  wife  in  1829,  and  there  they  lived 
for  six  years,  when  Archibald  moved  his  family,  now  increased  by  three  children, 
to  a  small  frame  house  he  had  built  on  Elston  Road  (now  Elston  Avenue),  near 
the  present  station  of  Clybourn  Junction.  In  the  next  year,  1837,  he  erected  on 
the  same  location,  adjoining  the  frame  building,  a  brick  house  which  faced  toward 
the  south.  It  was  most  pretentious  for  those  daj7s,  having  twenty  rooms,  large,  col- 
umned porch,  and  being  built  of  brick,  which  was  made  near  the  house  by  Francis 
C.  Sherman,  later  the  founder  of  the  Sherman  House,  and  many  times  elected  as 
mayor  of  the  city. J  4 

Archibald  was  the  first  constable  of  Chicago,  appointed  in  1825,  when  Chicago 
was  in  Peoria  County.  "In  June,  1829,  the  month  of  his  marriage,  he  was  author- 
ized to  keep  a  ferry  in  conjunction  with  Samuel  Miller  'across  the  Chicago  River, 
at  the  lower  forks,  near  Wolf  Point,  crossing  the  river  below  the  Northeast  branch, 
and  to  land  on  either  side  of  both  branches,  to  suit  the  convenience  of  persons  wish- 
ing to  cross.'  ....  In  the  latter  part  of  the  same  year,  December  8,  1829, 
he  was  appointed  one  of  the  first  trustees  of  the  school  section,  Archibald  Clybourn, 
Samuel  Miller  and  John  B.  Beaubien,  comprising  the  board.  He  was  made  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  in  1831.  Jonas  Clybourn  and  his  son  Archibald  were  the  early 
butchers  of  Chicago.  They  furnished  the  garrison  at  Fort  Dearborn,  and  some- 
times extended  their  trade  to  Mackinaw.  When  the  Black  Hawk  War,  in  1832, 
brought  crowds  of  frightened  settlers  from  the  country  to  the  shelter  of  the  fort, 
the  Clybourns  and  John  Noble  and  sons  fed  nearly  the  entire  population  until  the 
pioneers  could  return  to  their  homes.  The  Clybourn  family,  with  the  rest  of  Chi- 
cago, took  refuge  in  the  fort  until  the  danger  was  past.  Mr.  Clybourn  lived  on 
the  old  place  until  his  death,  August  23,  1872.  He  left,  at  that  time,  his  widow, 
still  living  in  Chicago  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Parks,  and  ten  living  children."  15 

JAMES    GALLOWAY 

In  1826  James  Galloway,  after  a  preliminary  survey  of  Chicago  and  its  vicinity, 
brought  here  from  Sandusky,  Ohio,  his  family,  consisting  of  his  wife,  three  little 
daughters  and  a  son.  They  came  by  the  lake  route  and  landed  at  Chicago  after 
encountering  severe  storms  throughout  the  journey.  Mr.  Galloway  had  brought 
with  him  a  large  supply  of  provisions  for  his  family  and  goods  for  trading  with 
the  Indians.  Much  of  this  was  forfeited  to  the  American  Fur  Company,  who  did 
not  welcome  an  opposition  trader  in  the  settlement,  making  it  difficult  for  the  new- 
comer to  secure  his  property  when  it  was  unloaded  at  Chicago.  His  first  residence 

lsBlanchard:  "History  of  the  Northwest  and  Chicago,"  p.   505. 

14  Andreas,   p.   103. 

15  Andreas:  I,   104. 


Courtesy  of  Evanstrn  Historical  Society 

A.  CLYBOURN 

Early    settler    of    Chicago    from    whose 
family   Clybourn   Junction   has    its   name. 


Watercolor  by  G.  E.  Petforcl 


CLYBOURX  MANSION 

Home  of  Clybourn  family,  built  iu  1837  near  the  present  Clybourn  Junction 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  129 

in  the  settlement  was  in  a  log  cabin  at  Hardscrabble,  which  was  offered  him  for 
the  winter  by  the  Indian  chief,  Alexander  Robinson,  who  had  become  his  good 
friend.  There  he  had  as  neighbors  Joseph  Laframboise,  William  H.  Wallace,  Mr. 
Weicks  and  an  Indian  trader  named  Barney  Lawton.16  This  little  group  of  peo- 
ple was  about  four  miles  from  the  fort,  and  quite  truly  in  Indian  country.  Even 
in  the  daytime  the  wolves  often  came  to  the  doorstep ;  and  the  frequent  rumors  of 
the  hostile  approach  of  Indians  were  alarming  to  this  family  not  accustomed  to  en- 
counters with  savages.  One  stormy,  snowy  night  when  Mr.  Galloway  was  absent 
on  his  claim  on  the  Illinois  River,  wild  whoops  were  heard  outside  the  cabin  and  the 
terrified  mother  bolted  the  door,  gave  to  her  eldest  daughter  Mary  an  ax  and  seized 
one  herself.  The  Indians  pounded  and  danced  and  yelled  as  if  intent  on  killing 
every  inmate  of  the  house,  and  finally,  unable  to  get  in,  they  left  the  beleaguered 
house  to  go  to  a  neighboring  cabin,  where  their  noisy  demands  were  granted.  They 
had  returned  from  a  long  hunting  trip,  were  hungry  and  cold,  and  expected  shelter 
from  their  friends  in  the  cabin.  This  was  their  manner  of  expressing  their  request 
and  their  surprise  at  not  finding  it  granted. 

In  the  early  part  of  1827  Mr.  Galloway  took  his  family  to  his  claim  at  what 
was  then  called  the  Grand  Rapids  of  the  Illinois,  at  the  present  site  of  Marseilles. 
There  the  family  continued  to  live  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Galloway  in  1864,  his 
wife  having  died  in  1830.  Two  years  after  the  arrival  there  of  the  family,  in  June, 
1829,  the  eldest  daughter  Mary  was  married  to  Archibald  Clybourn,  who  had  come 
to  Chicago  in  1823,  was  engaged  in  the  butchering  business,  and  often  had  to  go 
as  far  south  as  Sangamon  County  to  buy  his  cattle,  thus  passing  by  the  home  of 
Mary  Galloway. 

DR.    ALEXANDER   WOLCOTT 

Dr.  Alexander  Wolcott  was  Indian  agent  at  Chicago  from  1820  until  his  death 
in  1830.  He  was  a  Yale  graduate,  and  had  come  to  Chicago  from  Connecticut.  He 
was  appointed  physician  of  Governor  Cass'  western  expedition  in  1820,  one  of  the 
party  with  Schoolcraft,  Trowbridge  and  John  H.  Kinzie.  Of  the  Chicago  of  Dr. 
Wolcott's  day,  Schoolcraft  tells  us:  "We  found  four  or  five  families  living  here, 
the  principal  of  which  were  those  of  Mr.  John  Kinzie,  Dr.  A.  Wolcott,  J.  B.  Bobian 
[Beaubien]  and  Mrs.  J.  Crafts,  the  latter  living  a  short  distance  up  the  river."  He 
writes  later  of  continuing  their  journey:  "Dr.  Wolcott,  being  the  U.  S.  Agent  for 
this  tribe  [Pottawattomies],  found  himself  at  home  here,  and  constitutes  no  fur- 
ther a  member  of  the  expedition."  There  the  exploring  party  left  Dr.  Wolcott, 
"whose  manners,  judgment,  and  intelligence  had  commanded  our  respect  during 
the  journey." 

While  his  predecessor,  Jouett,  was  Indian  Agent,  the  latter  had  begun  the 
building  of  an  agency  house  north  of  the  river,  on  the  southwest  corner  of  the  pres- 
ent intersection  of  North  State  and  North  Water  Streets.  This  was  later  finished 
by  Dr.  Wolcott  and  occupied  by  him  from  1820  to  1823,  and  again  from  1828 
until  his  death  in  1830.17  The  building  was  called  Cobweb  Castle,  perhaps  owing 
to  its  bachelor  housekeeping.  In  1823,  he  was  married  to  Ellen  Marion  Kinzie, 

111  The  more  dignified   form   of  the  name   appears  in  a  few  early  accounts:     Bernadus   H. 
Laughton. 

17  Andreas:  I,  103. 


130  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

daughter  of  John  Kinzie.  Earlier  in  the  same  year,  when  the  troops  were  removed 
from  Fort  Dearborn,  Dr.  Wolcott,  having  been  put  in  charge  of  the  post  and  its 
property,  moved  into  one  of  the  officers'  dwellings.18  There  he  lived  during  the 
vacancy  of  the  fort  until  1828,  when  he  returned  to  his  own  house,  where  he  died  in 
1830.  In  mourning  the  death  of  Dr.  Wolcott,  Mrs.  Kinzie  says:  "That  noble  heart, 
so  full  of  warm  and  kindly  affections,  had  ceased  to  beat,  and  sad  and  desolate, 
indeed,  were  those  who  had  so  loved  and  honored  him."  19 

OTHER    RESIDENTS 

There  were  other  well  known  residents  of  Chicago  during  the  first  years  of  the 
growth  of  the  little  village.  Charles  Jouett  was  twice  Indian  agent  there,  from 
1805  until  1811,  and  from  1815  until  1818,  in  this  year  moving  to  Kentucky.20  Just 
before  the  rebuilding  of  Fort  Dearborn,  John  Dean,  an  army  contractor,  came  to 
Chicago  and  built  a  house  near  the  present  foot  of  Randolph  Street,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river.  This  was  the  house  that  was  bought  by  J.  B.  Beaubien  in  1817  for 
$1,000 — in  those  days  a  high  price.  In  1819  Dean  was  made  U.  S.  Factor.21  Da- 
vid McKee  came  as  a  blacksmith  in  1821  as  a  result  of  a  treaty  of  General  Cass 
with  the  Indians,  one  condition  of  which  was  that  there  should  be  a  blacksmith  at 
Chicago  to  work  exclusively  for  the  Indians.22  He  it  was  who  in  1826  agreed  to 
carry  the  mail  every  month  between  Chicago  and  Fort  Wayne.  He  married  the 
daughter  of  Stephen  J.  Scott,  and  lived  in  Aurora,  Illinois,  during  his  later  life. 
In  1817  John  Crafts  was  established  at  Hardscrabble  as  the  agent  for  the  fur  com- 
pany of  Conant  and  Mack.  In  1822  this  company  was  absorbed  by  the  American 
Fur  Company,  whose  agent  at  Chicago  Crafts  became.  In  1825  he  was  still  the 
agent,23  and  probably  continued  so  until  his  death,  which  is  believed  to  be  in  1826.24 
After  Crafts  left  Hardscrabble,  William  H.  Wallace,  who  had  come  to  Chicago  be- 
tween 1822  and  1826,  set  up  his  own  trading  post  at  Hardscrabble  in  partnership 
with  a  man  named  Davis.  In  the  same  neighborhood  in  1826  were  Barney  Lawton 
(Bernadus  H.  Laughton)  and  his  brother  David,  Indian  traders,  who  soon  after- 
wards moved  to  what  is  now  Riverside,  on  the  Desplaines  River.  The  wife  of  Ber- 
nardus  was  the  sister  of  Stephen  Forbes'  wife,  who  with  her  husband  taught  the  first 
regular  school  in  Chicago.25  The  first  lawyer  who  made  his  residence  in  Chicago 
was  Russell  E.  Heacock,  who  came  in  1827,  and  took  up  his  abode  within  the  en- 
closure of  the  fort,  then  unoccupied.  He  became  a  large  investor  in  Chicago  real 
estate,  confident  of  the  city's  mighty  future.  He  was  a  man  having  ideas  far  in 
advance  of  his  time,  and  was  independent  and  active  in  urging  them.  When  the  Il- 
linois and  Michigan  Canal  was  in  process  of  construction,  and  its  completion  was 
threatened  with  failure  for  lack  of  funds,  he  proposed  the  plan  of  a  shallow-cut 
canal,  which  would  mean  a  difference  of  about  two  million  dollars  in  the  cost.  He 

18  Andreas:  I,   90. 
i<>"Wau-Bun"  (C.)  :  p.  84. 

20  Andreas,  I,  87. 

21  Ibid.,  85,  95. 

22  Fergus,  7,  23. 
28  Andreas,  I,  95. 

24  Fergus,  7. 

25  Andreas,  I,  107. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  131 

took  his  courageous  stand,  censured  and  ridiculed  on  all  sides,  gaining  the  sobriquet 
"Shallow-cut  Heacock."  His  plan,  nevertheless,  was  finally  adopted,  and  the  canal 
completed.  At  another  time  he  was,  characteristically,  the  only  one  in  a  body  of 
thirteen  to  vote  against  incorporating  the  Town  of  Chicago.  Though  the  general 
public  was  little  in  sympathy  with  his  views,  he  was  well  liked  for  his  integrity  of 
character,  amiability,  and  his  friendliness  of  manner. 

In  this  account  have  been  mentioned  the  most  of  those  who,  during  that  first 
quarter  of  the  century,  were  prominent  in  the  varying  population  of  the  village,  a 
large  part  of  which  consisted  of  soldiers,  fur  traders,  voyageurs  and  Indians. 

MAJOR    STEPHEN    H.    LONG,   U.    S.   E. 

Some  of  the  visitors  of  the  early  day  were  men  of  no  little  national  note.  In 
1816  Major  Long  passed  through  Chicago.  He  was  then  a  second  lieutenant  of 
engineers,20  having  in  charge,  then  and  for  several  subsequent  years,  government 
explorations  west  of  the  Mississippi.  At  the  time  of  his  visit  to  Chicago,  he  was 
on  his  way  back  from  an  expedition  which  was  "to  make  a  comprehensive  'military 
and  scientific  exploration  of  the  country  between  the  Missouri  river  and  the  Rocky 
Mountains."  After  making  this  tour  he  reported  in  a  letter  to  the  government  the 
unfitness  for  cultivation  of  the  great  American  desert,  consigning  all  this  western 
region  to  "buffaloes,  wild  goats  and  other  wild  game."  He  regarded  it  as  an  inval- 
uable frontier  and  as  a  security  against  the  schemes  and  incursions  of  other  nations. 
On  his  return  eastward,  he  comes,  he  says,  "through  a  savage  and  roadless  wilder- 
ness, via  Fort  Clark,  and  the  valley  of  the  Illinois  River,  to  Lake  Michigan." 

In  1823  Major  Long  made  a  second  visit  to  Chicago  in  charge  of  an  exploring 
expedition.  In  a  history  of  that  expedition,  writqen  later,  he  says  of  Chicago:  "The 
village  presents  no  cheering  prospects,  as,  notwithstanding  its  antiquity,  it  contains 
but  few  huts,  inhabited  by  a  miserable  race  of  men,  scarcely  equal  to  the  Indians, 
from  whom  they  are  descended.  Their  log  or  bark  houses  are  low,  filthy  and  dis- 
gusting, displaying  not  the  least  trace  of  comfort.  As  a  place  of  business  it  offers 
no  inducement  to  the  settler,  for  the  whole  amount  of  the  trade  of  the  lake  did  not 
exceed  the  cargoes  of  five  or  six  schooners,  even  at  the  time  when  the  garrison  re- 
ceived its  supplies  from  Mackinac."  2" 

SCHOOLCRAFT'S  VISIT  IN  1820 

On  the  twenty-ninth  of  August,  1820,  Henry  R.  Schoolcraft  visited  Chicago  in 
the  party  of  Governor  Lewis  Cass.  In  addition  to  his  position  as  governor  of  Mich- 
igan Territory,  General  Cass  was  also  ex-officio  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs  in 
that  territory,  and,  likewise,  for  a  great  portion  of  the  time  he  had  charge  of  agen- 
cies at  Chicago  and  other  places  in  the  West,  notwithstanding  that  Illinois  was  then 
a  full-fledged  state  in  the  Union.  Besides  the  governor  the  party  comprised  seven 
officers,  guests  and  interpreters,  together  with  ten  Canadian  voyageurs  to  manage 
the  canoes,  ten  United  States  soldiers  for  an  escort,  and  ten  Indians  to  act  as  hunt- 
ers. Three  large  bark  canoes  were  required  for  their  accommodation.28 

2cHurlbut:   "Chicago   Antiquitifes,"   p.   204. 

27  Fergus  I,  p.  21. 

28Hurlbut:  "Chicago  Antiquities,"  p.   188. 


132  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

Coasting  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan  from  the  north,  the  party,  on  arriving  at 
Chicago,  says  Schoolcraft,  "found  four  or  five  families  living  here,  the  principal 
of  which  were  these  of  Mr.  John  Kinzie,  Dr.  A.  Wolcott,  J.  B.  Beaubien  and  Mr. 
J.  Crafts,  the  latter  living  a  short  distance  up  the  river."  29  The  garrison  at  Fort 
Dearborn  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  men,  under  command  of  Captain  Brad- 
ley. "The  river,"  continues  Schoolcraft,  "is  ample  and  deep  for  a  few  miles,  but 
is  utterly  choked  up  by  the  lake  sands,  through  which,  behind  a  masked  margin,  it 
oozes  its  way  for  a  mile  or  two  till  it  percolates  through  the  sands  into  the  lake."  30 

Schoolcraft  made  a  sketch  "from  a  stand  point  on  the  flat  of  sand  which  stretched 
in  front  of  the  place.  This  view,"  he  writes,  "embraces  every  house  in  the  village, 
with  the  fort."  The  sketch  was  reproduced  for  the  purpose  of  being  used  in  School- 
craft's  "Ethnological  Researches,"  which  the  artist,  when  making  the  reproduction, 
slightly  altered  from  the  original;  so  that,  as  Schoolcraft  remarks,  "the  stockade 
bears  too  great  a  proportion  to  the  scene,  while  the  precipice  observed  in  the  shore 
line  of  sand  is  wholly  wanting  in  the  original."  31 

The.  party  were  favorably  impressed  with  the  aspect  and  natural  situation  of  the 
place.  "The  country  around  Chicago,"  writes  Schoolcraft,  "  is  the  most  fertile  .and 
beautiful  that  can  be  imagined.  It  consists  of  an  intermixture  of  woods  and  prai- 
ries, diversified  with  gentle  slopes,  .  .  .  and  it  is  irrigated  with  a  number  of 
clear  streams  and  rivers,  which  throw  their  waters  partly  into  Lake  Michigan  and 
partly  into  the  Mississippi  river."  He  then  indulges  in  a  prophetic  vision,  and  says 
that  it  must  "become  one  of  the  most  attractive  fields  for  the  emigrant.  To  the  or- 
dinary advantages  of  an  agricultural  market  town,  it  must  add  that  of  being  a  depot 
for  the  commerce  between  the  northern  and  southern  sections  of  the  Union,  and  a 
great  thoroughfare  for  strangers,  merchants  and  travelers."  32 

A  few  more  interesting  details  are  added  to  Schoolcraft's  account.  "Having 
partaken,"  continues  the  narrative,  "of  the  hospitalities  of  Mr.  Kinzie,  and  of  Cap- 
tains Bradley  and  Green,  of  Fort  Dearborn,  during  our  stay  at  Chicago,  and  com- 
pleted the  reorganization  of  our  parties,  we  separated,  .  .  .  Governor  Cass  and 
his  party,  on  horseback,  taking  the  old  Indian  trail  to  Detroit,  and  Captain  Doug- 
lass and  myself  being  left,  with  two  canoes,  to  complete  the  circumnavigation  of 
the  lakes."  Bidding  adieu  to  Dr.  Wolcott,  "whose  manners,  judgment  and  intelli- 
gence had  commanded  our  respect,"  the  party  embarked,  and,  favored  by  a  good 
breeze,  which  permitted  the  boatmen  to  hoist  their  sails,  they  proceeded  on  their 
way  around  the  southern  bend  of  Lake  Michigan.  The  party  continued  their  jour- 
ney up  the  west  shore  of  the  lake,  passed  into  Lake  Huron  and  at  length  arrived  at 
Detroit,  September  twenty-fourth.  The  entire  journey  had  occupied  just  four 
months  of  time,  and  the  distance  traversed  was  forty-two  hundred  miles.  The  jour- 
ney was  performed  without  the  occurrence  of  a  single  untoward  accident.33  On 
their  arrival  the  party  found  that  Governor  Cass  and  his  equestrian  party  from 
Chicago  had  preceded  them  thirteen  days. 

29  Ibid.,  p.  197. 

80  Schoolcraft:  "Mississippi,"  p.   197. 

"Ibid.,  p.  198. 

82  Schoolcraft,  p.  199. 

33  Schoolcraft,  p.  284. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  133 

CHARLES   C.   TROWBRIDOE 

When  Governor  Cass  came  to  Chicago  in  1820,  on  his  famous  tour  of  exploration 
— the  same  tour  on  which  he  was  accompanied  by  Henry  R.  Schoolcraft, — he  had 
in  his  party  as  assistant  topographer  Charles  C.  Trowbridge,  then  a  young  man  and 
a  trusted  confident  of  his  chief.34  The  party  travelled  in  three  canoes,  of  which 
Trowbridge  was  in  charge  of  one  and  John  H.  Kinzie  of  another.35  The  little  group 
of  dwellings  along  the  river  did  not  impress  him,  as  we  see  in  a  note  written  by  him 
long  afterward  to  the  secretary  of  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Society:  "Even  as  late 
as  1831,  I  declined  becoming  a  party  to  the  purchase  of  one- fourth  of  the  Kinzie 
Addition,  Chicago — the  North  Side — at  five  thousand  dollars.  Ten  years  prior  to 
that  I  was  in  Chicago,  and  would  not  have  given  that  sum  for  both  sides  of  the 
river  as  far  as  the  eye  could  extend." 

EBENEZER    CHILDS 

It  might  be  said  of  Chicago  in  the  early  day  that  it  was  but  an  outpost  of  the 
trading  interests  located  at  the  head  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  a  stopping  place  be- 
tween those  much  older  settlements  of  Mackinac  and  Green  Bay  on  the  north  and 
Cahokia,  St.  Louis,  Cape  Girardeau  and  many  others  on  the  south.  So  it  was  that 
Chicago  was  the  stopping  place  for  many  from  points  north  and  south,  who  were 
brought  there  by  trading  interests.  One  of  those  who  visited  the  settlement  was 
Ebenezer  Childs,  who  in  1820  was  keeping  a  small  store  at  Green  Bay,  where  he 
had  come  from  Massachusetts.  In  1821  he  made  a  trip  to  St.  Louis  by  water,  com- 
ing back  by  way  of  the  Illinois  River.  Canoeing  up  into  the  Desplaines  River  with 
his  men,  he  was  unable  to  find  the  portage  owing  to  the  inundation  of  the  country, 
due  to  heavy  rains.  He  says  of  his  arrival:  "After  traveling  a  few  miles,  I  found 
the  current  of  the  Chicago  River.  The  whole  country  was  inundated ;  I  found  not 
less  than  two  feet  of  water  all  the  way  across  the  portage.  That  night  I  arrived 
at  Chicago,  pitched  my  tent  on  the  bank  of  the  lake,  and  went  to  the  fort  for  pro- 
visions. I  was  not,  however,  able  to  obtain  any ;  the  commissary  informing  me  that 
the  public  stores  were  so  reduced,  that  the  garrison  were  subsisting  on  half  rations, 
and  he  knew  not  when  they  would  get  any  more.  I  went  to  Col.  Beaubien,  who 
furnished  me  with  a  small  supply.  I  found  two  traders  there  from  Mackinaw,  and 
as  my  men  were  all  sick,  I  exchanged  my  tent  and  canoe  for  a  horse,  and  took  pas- 
sage on  board  the  Mackinaw  boat  as  far  as  Manitowoc.  One  of  our  party  had  to 
go  by  land  and  ride  the  horse.  There  were  at  this  time  but  two  families  residing 
outside  of  the  fort  at  Chicago,  those  of  Mr.  Kinzie  and  Col.  Beaubien."  36 

A  second  time,  in  1827,  he  visited  Chicago  and  says,  "The  place  had  not  improved 
any  since  1821  ;  only  two  families  yet  resided  there,  those  of  Kinzie  and  Col.  Beau- 
bien." 

FONDA'S  FIRST  VISIT  TO  CHICAGO 

In  1825  came  a  stranger,  paddling  around  the  bend  of  the  Chicago  river  into 
view  of  Fort  Dearborn.  It  was  not  trading  that  brought  him,  not  a  government  er- 

34  Schoolcraft:  "Mississippi"  p.  44. 

35  "Wisconsin   Historical  Collections,"  V — 370. 

30  "Wisconsin    Historical   Collections:"   IV — 162,    169. 


134  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

rand- — merely  the  desire  to  travel  on  from  his  latest  dwelling  place  in  search  of 
further  adventure.  This  citizen  of  the  realm  of  Vagabondia  was  John  H.  Fonda, 
a  young  man  who  was  born  in  Albany  County,  New  York.  There  he  received  a 
good  education,  studied  law,  and  finally,  urged  by  his  boyish  love  of  roving  and  of 
the  out-of-doors,  he  joined,  in  about  1819,  a  party  which  was  going  to  Texas.  In 
that  country  he  worked  as  a  fur  trader  for  about  four  years,  which  seemed  to  be 
as  long  as  his  interest  in  his  surroundings  held  out.  Then  he  traveled  hap-hazardly 
towards  St.  Louis,  sometimes  crossing  the  plains  "on  board  of  an  old  pack-mule," 
at  one  time  stopping  for  a  season  in  a  mixed  settlement  of  trappers,  Mexicans  and 
Indians ;  moving  on  again  to  St.  Louis  in  charge  of  a  caravan  of  wagons  and  cattle 
over  a  barren  country,  that  even  then  seemed  to  him  rich  in  its  possibilities.  In 
Texas  he  had  been  a  fur  trader ;  in  St.  Louis  he  was  a  brick-layer ;  and  next,  after 
a  few  months  in  that  place,  hearing  that  fortunes  were  to  be  made  in  lead  mining 
near  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  that  a  number  of  men  were  starting  up  the  Mississippi, 
he  made  himself  one  of  this  party.  It  was  sufficient  for  him  that  they  were  seeking 
new  experience.  On  the  journey  up  the  river  rumors  of  Indian  disturbances  in  the 
mining  region  came  to  them,  so  they  branched  off  at  the  Illinois  river,  went  on  up 
the  Desplaines,  across  the  old  slough  into  the  Chicago  river,  and  thus  Fonda  first 
entered  Chicago,  paddling  down  towards  Fort  Dearborn  in  a  canoe. 

"At  this  period,"  he  relates,  "Chicago  was  merely  an  Indian  agency;  it  contained 
about  fourteen  houses,  and  not  more  than  seventy-five  or  one  hundred  inhabitants  at 
the  most.  .  .  .  The  staple  business  seemed  to  be  carried  on  by  Indians  and 
runaway  soldiers,  who  hunted  ducks  and  musk-rats  in  the  marshes.  There  was  a 
great  deal  of  low  land,  mostly  destitute  of  timber.  The  principal  inhabitants  were 
the  agent  [Dr.  Alexander  Wolcott],  a  Frenchman  by  the  name  of  Ouilmette,  and 
John  B.  Beaubien.  It  never  occurred  to  me  then  that  a  large  city  would  be  built 
up  there." 

From  Chicago  he  started  for  Green  Bay,  but  at  the  scanty  traders'  settlement  of 
Milwaukee  he  stayed  for  two  years,  perhaps  for  no  reason  at  all,  perhaps  for  one 
having  to  do  with  the  fact  that  a  few  years  later  he  married  the  niece  of  the  only 
merchant  in  the  settlement.  In  1827  he  roved  on  towards  Green  Bay.  In  all  his 
wanderings  the  scenery  on  the  way  afforded  him  as  much  interest  and  excitement 
as  actual  adventures.  He  was  kindred  in  spirit  to  the  wilderness  through  which 
he  was  going,  and  in  telling  of  what  he  saw, — the  glint  on  the  lake  of  sea  fowls' 
wings,  cascades  of  falling  waters,  the  freshness  of 

"A  vagrant's  morning,  wide  and  blue, 
In  early  fall,  when  the  wind  walks,  too," 

he  often  carries  into  his  words  the  beauty  of  the  scenes  he  recalls. 

FONDA    AT    GREEN    BAY 

At  Fort  Howard,  near  Green  Bay,  he  was  delighted  to  see  Yankee  soldiers, 
after  eight  years'  absence  from  his  eastern  home.  Col.  McKenney  was  in  com- 
mand at  the  fort,  and  visiting  him  was  Gen.  Lewis  Cass,  who  was  there  on  a  com- 
mission to  hold  a  treaty  with  the  local  Indians.  At  Green  Bay  he  was  continu- 
ally hearing  rumors,  increasingly  alarming,  of  Indian  disturbances — the  first  warn- 


Fonda    carried    the    mail    between    Chi- 
cago and  Green  Bay  in  the  '20s. 


By  permission  or  Chicago  Historical  Society  Prom  painting  by  Edgar  S.  Cameron 

\ 

CHICAGO'S  FIRST  POSTOFFICE  IN  183JS 
Log  building  near  the  present  site  of  Lake  street  bridge  at  the  east  end 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  135 

ing  notes  of  the  Winnebago  War;  he  "continued/'  as  he  said,  "to  hang  around  the 
fort,  leading  a  sort  of  free  ranger  life — sometimes  accompanying  the  officers  on 
their  hunting  tours,  but  refusing  all  proposals  to  enlist."  A  soldier's  life  was  too 
uneventful  and  constrained  for  him,  even  in  those  active  times.  He  preferred 

"Wandering  with  the  wandering  wind, 
Vagabond  and  unconfined." 

Soon  there  came  a  task  that  suited  his  fancy:  "It  was  the  winter  of  '27  3"  that 
the  U.  S.  Quartermaster,  having  heard  of  me  through  some  of  the  men,  with  whom 
I  was  a  favorite,  came  to  me  one  day  and  asked  me  if  I  thought  I  could  find  the 
way  to  Chicago.  I  told  him  it  wasn't  long  since  I  made  the  trip  by  the  lake.  He 
said  he  wanted  to  get  a  person  who  was  not  afraid  to  carry  dispatches  to  the  mili- 
tary post  3S  at  Fort  Dearborn.  I  said  I  had  heard  that  the  Indians  were  still  un- 
friendly, but  I  was  ready  to  make  the  attempt.  He  directed  me  to  make  all  the 
preparations  necessary,  and  report  myself  at  his  quarters  at  the  earliest  moment. 
I  now  began  to  consider  the  danger  to  be  provided  against,  which  might  be  classed 
under  three  heads,  viz:  cold,  Indians,  and  hunger.  For  the  first,  it  was  only  need- 
ful to  supply  one's  person  with  good  hunting  shirts,  flannel  and  deer-skin  leggins, 
extra  moccasins,  and  a  Mackinaw  blanket;  these,  with  a  resolute  spirit,  were  deemed 
sufficient  protection  against  the  severest  weather.  And  fortunate  was  he  who  pos- 
sessed these.  Hunger,  except  in  case  of  getting  lost,  was  easily  avoided  by  laying 
in  a  pouch  of  parched  Indian  corn  and  jerked  venison.  Against  danger  from  In- 
dians, I  depended  on  the  following," — and  the  reader,  being  lured  so  far  into  Fonda's 
narrative,  must  go  to  the  original,  which  is  too  lengthy  an  account  to  quote.  In 
brief,  he  secured  adequate  arms — a  rifle,  a  sheath  knife  and  two  pistols — took  unto 
himself  a  comrade  for  sociability's  sake,  and  was  ready  to  start  on  the  long  journey 
to  Chicago. 

MAIL    CARRIERS    OF    THE    EARLY    DAY 

It  is  amusing  to  regard  these  two  companions  together — Fonda,  the  valiant  free- 
lance, tall,  powerful,  good-natured;  and  Boiseley  beside  him  in  comical  contrast,  a 
short,  uncouth,  hirsute  woodsman,  with  long  arms,  having  an  endurance  and  power 
even  greater  than  that  of  his  companion.  These  two  left  Fort  Howard  on  foot, 
with  letters  and  dispatches  for  the  Indian  agent  at  Fort  Dearborn.  The  trip  was 
made  by  land,  and  in  a  little  more  than  a  month  their  destination  was  reached. 
This  was  the  second  time  that  Fonda  had  come  to  Chicago,  and  in  his  approach  as 
a  carrier  of  dispatches,  he  felt  a  certain  importance,  a  dignity  which  his  former  ar- 
rival as  a  casual  tourist  had  lacked.  The  dispatches  were  delivered  to  Captain 
Morgan,  whom  he  found  in  command  at  the  fort  with  a  company  of  volunteers  from 
the  Wabash  country,  who  had  come  in  response  to  Gurdon  S.  Hubbard's  appeal  for 
aid.  The  two  men  then  went  out  from  the  fort  into  the  settlement,  to  a  house 

37  Fonda's   narrative    is   evidently    at    fault   in    saying   "winter   of    1827,"    as   the   occasion  of 
which  he   speaks  was  in  the  late  summer  of  that  year. 

38  Again    Fonda's   narrative   is   in   error,   as  the   "military  post"   at  Fort  Dearborn   did   not 
exist  as  such   at   that   time;   the   garrison    at   Fort   Dearborn   had   been   withdrawn    in    1823,   and 
the  post   was   in   charge   of  the   Indian    agent,   Dr.   Wolcott. 


136  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

"built,"  Fonda  says,  "on  the  half-breed  system — partly  of  logs  and  partly  of 
boards."  At  this  house,  kept  by  a  Mr.  Miller,  Fonda  and  his  companion  stayed 
while  in  the  settlement.  Of  the  place  at  the  time  of  his  second  visit  he  said, 
"With  the  exception  that  the  fort  was  strengthened  and  garrisoned  [that  is,  by  the 
volunteers  mentioned],  there  was  no  sign  of  improvement  having  gone  on  since  my 
former  visit." 

In  another  month  they  were  back  at  Fort  Howard  with  return  dispatches  from 
Fort  Dearborn.  Anent  this  experience  Fonda  makes  his  confession :  "The  Quarter- 
Master  at  Fort  Howard  expressed  himself  satisfied  with  my  performance,  and  he 
wanted  me  to  make  another  trip;  but  as  I  had  seen  the  country,  which  was  all  I 
cared  for,  I  did  not  desire  to  repeat  it.  Getting  my  pay  from  the  Department,  and 
a  liberal  donation  from  the  people,  a  portion  of  which  I  gave  Boiseley,  I  left  Uncle 
Sam's  employ  and  took  up  my  old  profession — a  gentleman  of  leisure,  and  continued 
to  practice  as  such  until  the  spring  came,  when  with  a  view  to  extend  the  field  of 
my  labors,  I  made  ready  to  bid  good-bye  to  Green  Bay."  Urged  on  by  the  "joy 
of  the  open  road,"  he  started  forth  with  his  little  goblin  of  a  companion  towards 
Fort  Crawford,  near  Prairie  du  Chien,  where  Colonel  Zachary  Taylor  took  com- 
mand in  1829. 

Of  Fonda's  later  experiences  little  more  will  here  be  said,  as  they  are  not  con- 
nected directly  with  Chicago  history.  At  Fort  Crawford  he  enlisted  for  three  years 
in  the  army,  was  a  favorite  and  trusted  Quarter-Master's  Sergeant  under  Colonel 
Taylor,  who  gave  him  his  discharge  while  in  hospital  two  years  later. 

FONDA'S  LATER  LIFE 

During  the  Black  Hawk  War  Fonda  served  in  the  army,  and  for  his  service  he 
received  at  the  end  of  the  war  a  land  warrant,  whereupon  he  settled  down  and 
married.  From  that  time  he  lived,  at  intervals,  in  Prairie  du  Chien,  taking  his 
family  with  him  as  he  moved  to  and  from  the  place.  After  his  last  discharge  from 
the  army,  he  was  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1858  Fonda 
related  the  story  of  his  pioneering.  He  was  then  about  sixty  years  old,  for  the  past 
thirty  years  a  resident  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  having  come  there  as  a  young  man 
when  it  was  the  extreme  settlement  in  the  Northwest.  He  is  interesting  rather  as 
a  personality  than  in  any  historical  connection  with  Chicago.  He  was  one  of  the 
brotherhood  of  Borrow  and  Stevenson,  of  Josiah  Flynt  and  Richard  Hovey.  He 
felt  the  glory  of  the  open  air,  and  knew  the  worth  of  a  wayfaring  comrade.  He 
loved  adventure,  was  brave  in  danger,  of  great  physical  endurance  and  did  well 
what  he  set  himself  to  do.  It  is  characteristic  of  him  that  he  fought  hard  against 
the  Indians  and  yet  could  say,  "No  person  under  heaven  sympathizes  more  sin- 
cerely with  them."  S9 

MAIL    CARRIERS    AND    ROUTES 

The  first  mail  route  that  crossed  the  Alleghany  Mountains  was  established  in 
1788,  coming  west  as  far  as  Pittsburgh.  Within  the  next  few  years  routes  were 
extended  to  Louisville  (1794)  to  Vincennes  (1800)  to  Cape  Girardeau  (1810)  and 

39  Wisconsin    Historical    Collections,   V,  205. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  137 

from  Vandalia  to  Springfield  (182-1).  As  the  northern  part  of  Illinois  was  sparsely 
settled,  it  was  not  until  the  early  twenties  that  mail  was  brought  to  Chicago  by  reg- 
ular "express,"  as  the  carrier  was  called.  Before  that  time,  letters  arriving  had 
come  through  special  conveyance  or  messenger  as  opportunity  offered,  and  when 
conditions  were  favorable. 

In  1826  David  McKee  agreed  with  the  government  to  carry  dispatches  and  let- 
ters once  a  month  between  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago.  This  was  mainly  for  the  con- 
venience of  the  soldiers  or  agents  occupying  Fort  Dearborn.  He  took  with  him  an 
Indian  pony  to  carry  the  mail  bag  and  sleeping  blankets,  driving  his  pony  ahead  of 
him.  For  his  own  food  he  relied  upon  the  game  which  he  could  kill,  and  for  his 
pony's  eating  he  cut  down  an  elm  or  basswood  tree  here  and  there  on  the  path. 
The  route  lay  from  Chicago  to  Niles,  Michigan;  thence  to  Elkhart,  Indiana;  and 
on  to  Fort  Wayne.  The  average  trip  took  fourteen  days,  it  being  sometimes  ac- 
complished in  ten  days.40 

Writing  of  the  mail  at  Chicago  in  1825,  Mrs.  Kinzie  says,  "The  mails  arrived, 
as  may  be  supposed,  at  very  rare  intervals.  They  were  brought  occasionally  from 
Fort  Clark  (Peoria),  but  more  frequently  from  Fort  Wayne,  or  across  the  peninsula 
of  Michigan,  which  was  still  a  wilderness  peopled  with  savages.  The  hardy  adven- 
turer who  acted  as  express  was,  not  unfrequently,  obliged  to  imitate  the  birds  of 
heaven  and  'lodge  among  the  branches,'  in  order  to  insure  the  safety  of  himself 
and  his  charge."  The  carriers  often  suffered  from  "snowblind,"  having  to  suspend 
the  journey  or  hire  it  done  by  another  while  they  recovered  at  some  cabin  or  other 
stopping  place  along  the  route.  Although  usually  provided  with  parched  corn  against 
the  scarcity  of  game,  there  were  many  times  when  the  mail  carriers  travelled  for 
days  on  the  verge  of  starvation;  just  as  common  a  hardship  was  freezing  the  feet, 
in  some  instances  the  men  losing  their  toes  as  a  result.  One  might  wonder  why 
horses  were  not  in  general  use  for  these  long  wilderness  journeys.  The  question 
is  answered  by  pointing  out  the  difficulty  of  progress  through  forests  crossed  by 
few  or  no  paths.  In  writing  of  his  western  tour,  Storrow  says,  "The  thickness  of 
the  forest  rendered  marching  difficult,  and  almost  entirely  impeded  the  horse;  but 
for  exertions  in  assisting  him  over  crags,  and  cutting  away  branches  and  saplings 
with  our  tomahawks,  we  should  have  been  obliged  to  abandon  him.  The  land  was 
broken  with  hillocks  and  masses  of  rock." 

The  eastern  mail  was  brought  to  Wisconsin  twice  a  year  fiv  a  soldier,  whose 
route  was  overland  from  Detroit,  around  the  southern  bend  of  Lake  Michigan  and 
through  Chicago.41  About  the  year  1825  post  offices  were  established  in  towns  west 
and  south  of  Chicago,  and  mail  routes  put  through  connecting  these  places.  In 
this  way  the  older  settlements  in  southern  Illinois  were  more  closely  connected  with 
the  northern  part  of  the  state.  Of  the  route  between  Green  Bay  and  Chicago  much 
is  found  in  historical  records,  as  it  was  one  of  the  oldest  western  routes.  In  an 
account  of  one  who  lived  in  Green  Bay  in  1825,  we  read,  "Once  a  month  a  mail 
arrived,  carried  on  the  back  of  a  man  who  had  gone  to  Chicago,  where  he  would 
find  the  mail  from  the  East,  destined  for  this  place.  He  returned  as  he  had  gone, 
on  foot,  via  Milwaukee.  This  day  and  generation  can  know  little  of  the  excitement 
that  overwhelmed  us  when  the  mail  was  expected — expectations  that  were  based  on 

40  Fergus:  7,  23. 

41  Thwaites'    "Wisconsin,"   p.   185. 


138  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

the  weather.  When  the  time  had  come,  or  was  supposed  to  have  come,  that  the 
mail  carrier  was  nearing  home,  many  of  the  gentlemen  would  start  off  in  their 
sleighs  to  meet  him."  One  of  the  well  known  carriers  of  the  early  day  was  Alexis 
Clermont,  who  regularly  made  this  journey,  after  the  Black  Hawk  War.  He  has 
told  his  own  story  of  it:  "I  would  start  out  from  the  post  office  in  Shantytown, 
taking  the  Indian  trail  to  Manitowoc.  Only  twice  would  I  see  the  lake  between 
Green  Bay  and  Milwaukee — at  Sauk  River,  twenty-five  miles  north  of  Milwaukee, 
and  at  Two  Rivers.  From  Milwaukee  I  went  to  Skunk  Grove,  then  to  Gross  Point, 
where  I  struck  the  lake  again,  and  then  I  would  see  no  more  of  the  lake  until  I 
reached  Chicago.  ...  In  making  my  trips  I  was  not  alone.  An  Oneida  In- 
dian always  accompanied  me.  The  load  was  limited  to  sixty  pounds,  and  we  usu- 
ally had  that  weight.  As  a  rule  it  took  us  a  full  month  to  make  the  round,  from 
Green  Bay  to  Chicago  and  return.  We  carried  two  shot  bags  filled  with  parched 
corn;  one  of  them  hulled  (bre-grole),  the  other  ground  (plurien).  For  the  greater 
part  of  our  diet,  we  relied  upon  the  Indians,  or  on  what  game  we  could  kill;  the 
bags  of  corn  were  merely  to  fall  back  upon,  in  case  the  Indians  had  moved  away, 
as  they  were  apt  to  do,  on  hunting  and  fishing  expeditions.  At  night  we  camped  out 
in  the  woods,  wherever  darkness  overtook  us,  and  slept  in  the  blankets  which  we 
carried  on  our  backs.  In  Chicago  we  merely  stopped  over  night,  and  promptly 
returned  the  way  we  came ;  unless  we  were  delayed  by  a  tardy  mail  from  Detroit, 
which  reached  Chicago  by  steamer  in  summer,  and  by  foot,  overland,  in  winter. 
.  .  .  Our  pay  was  usually  from  $60  to  $65  for  a  round  trip  such  as  I  have  de- 
scribed, although  in  the  fall  it  sometimes  reached  $70."  42 

The  receptacle  carried  by  the  express  was  not  always  the  bag  that  is  referred 
to  so  frequently.  John  H.  Fonda  in  starting  on  his  trip  from  Green  Bay  to  Chicago 
was  intrusted  "with  the — not  mail-bag, — but  a  tin  canister  or  box  of  a  flat  shape, 
covered  with  untanned  deer-hide,  that  contained  the  dispatches  and  letters  of  the 
inhabitants." 

In  the  period  about  1825  "the  United  States  mails  coming  from  the  East  to 
Chicago  and  other  western  lake  ports  were  conveyed,  during  the  season  of  naviga- 
tion, by  the  irregular  and  tardy  conveyances  of  sail  vessels,  and  the  inhabitants  of 
the  country  were  oftentimes  for  weeks  or  months  without  intelligence  of  what  was 
passing  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  from  which  they  were  completely  isolated." 
The  privilege  of  mail  service  "was  purchased  partly  by  voluntary  contributions  of 
the  citizens,  and  an  allowance  from  the  U.  S.  Quartermaster's  Department,  and  the 
military  post  fund  at  Fort  Howard.  The  Government  at  Washington  found  it 
would  not  pay  to  establish  a  mail  route,  or  defray  the  expenses  of  carrying  the 
mail,  and  decreed,  no  doubt  wisely,  that  no  expenditure  could  be  made  by  the  Post 
Office  Department  for  that  purpose,  exceeding  the  net  proceeds  of  the  mail  mat- 
ter." 43 

In  general  it  may  be  said  of  the  early  mail  service  of  the  West  that  each  mili- 
tary post  was  a  post  office,  and  the  commandant  a  postmaster.  In  1831  a  regular 
post  office  was  established  at  Chicago,  and  by  1834,  Chicago  was  receiving  one  mail 
a  week,  which  was  brought  on  horseback  from  Niles. 

*-  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  XV,  p.  454. 
*3  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  II,  p.  95. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  139 

ESTABLISHMENT   OF   U.   S.    POST  OFFICE 

A  regular  post  office  was  established  on  March  31,  1831,  and  the  appointment 
of  postmaster  was  given  to  Jonathan  Nash  Bailey,  at  that  time  living  in  the  Kinzie 
house.  The  post  office  was  located  in  a  small  log  building  20x45  feet,  near  the  pres- 
ent corner  of  Franklin  and  South  Water  Streets.  In  one  side  of  the  building  was 
the  post  office,  in  the  other  a  store.  The  postage  on  the  few  letters  and  papers  which 
arrived  was  paid  by  the  recipient,  the  rates  being  in  proportion  to  the  weight  of 
the  letter  and  the  distance  it  had  travelled,  ranging  from  six  and  one-half  cents  to 
twenty-five  cents.  Letters  were  often  left  uncalled  for  in  the  post  office  because 
the  ones  to  whom  they  were  sent  could  not  afford  the  postage.  Of  the  mail  service 
out  of  Chicago  at  this  period  we  have  a  record  sent  to  the  author  from  the  office  of 
the  Postmaster  General : 

Route  No.  46,  Fort  Wayne  by  Good  Hope,  Elkheart  Plain,  Goshen,  Pulaski  (Ind.),  Ed- 
wardsburgh,  to  Niles  (M.  T.),  once  a  week,  and  from  Niles  to  Chicago  (Illinois),  twice  a 
week,  on  horseback.  Distance,  90  miles.  Contractor,  John  G.  Hall,  with  pay  at  $175.00. 

Route  No.  74,  Vincennes  by  Palestine,  Hutsonville,  York,  Clark  C.  H.,  Livingston,  Paris, 
Ono,  Bloomfield,  Carolus,  Georgetown  to  Danville,  120  miles.  Once  a  week.  From  May  i  to 
November  i  in  a  two-horse  stage,  and  the  residue  of  year  on  horseback.  Also,  Danville  to 
Chicago,  130  miles,  once  in  two  weeks.  Contractors,  Oliver  Breeze  and  Co.  Pay  $600.00. 

Route  No.  83,  Decatur  by  Randolphs  Grove,  Bloomington,  Ottawa,  Chestnut,  Vermilion  and 
Dupage  to  Chicago,  185  miles,  once  a  week.  Contractor,  Luther  Stevens.  Pay,  $700.00 

Route  No.  84,  Chicago  by  Romeo,  Iroquois,  and  Driftwood  to  Danville,  125  miles,  once  a 
week.  Contractor,  Robert  Oliver.  Pay  $600.00. 

The  same  records  also  show  that  the  net  amount  of  post  office  receipts  at  Chi- 
cago during  1832  was  $47.00,  that  being  the  only  year  shown.  In  the  small  build- 
ing described  the  post  office  was  kept  until  1834.  Then  followed  several  removals 
of  it  to  different  buildings  in  the  immediate  neighborhood,  until  finally  it  was  lo- 
cated in  1855  in  the  government  building,  where  it  remained  until  the  great  fire 
of  1871. 

REVIEW  OF   EVENTS,    1812-1831. 

To  enable  the  reader  to  obtain  a  clearer  knowledge  of  the  period  between  the 
years  from  1812  to  1832,  inclusive,  we  will  make  a  general  survey,  grouping  the 
important  events  and  occurrences  together  under  each  year.  The  period  mentioned 
lends  itself  readily  to  an  arrangement  of  this  kind,  better  indeed  than  other  periods 
in  our  history.  Previously  to  this  period  a  chronological  record  of  events  would  be 
attenuated  and  scanty;  while  for  any  later  period,  when  there  was  an  increasingly 
rapid  development  in  affairs,  it  would  be  difficult  to  compress  such  a  record  into  so 
narrow  a  form  with  any  degree  of  satisfaction.  We  have  chosen  to  regard  the  pe- 
riod mentioned  above  as  having  a  place  by  itself,  beginning,  as  it  does,  with  the 
opening  of  the  War  of  1812,  and  ending  with  the  organization  of  Cook  County  .and 
the  establishment  of  the  post  office  at  Chicago. 

1812.  On  June  12th,  war  was  declared  between  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain.      August    15th,    Fort    Dearborn    was    evacuated,    the    massacre    following. 
August  16th,  the  fort  and  Agency  House  were  burned.     August  18th,  John  Kinzie 
and  family  took  their  departure  by  boat  for  St.  Joseph.     Antoine  Ouilmette  and 
his  family  were  the  only  residents  remaining  in  the  place. 

1813.  Ouilmette  and  his   family  continued  their  residence.     A  French  trader 
named  Du  Pin  took  up  his  residence  in  the  Kinzie  House. 


140  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

• 

1814.  In  July  of  this  year  Thomas  Forsyth  at  Peoria  learned  from  Indians  that 
"it  was  currently  reported  at  Milwaukee  that  the  British  were  coming  the  ensuing 
fall,  to  build  a  fort  at  Chicago."  44     No  attempt  was  made  to  do  so,  however. 

1815.  John  Dean,  an  army  contractor,  built  a  house  on  the  lake  shore  near  the 
foot   of   Randolph   Street.45 

1816.  In  July,  Captain  Hezekiah  Bradley  arrived  with  a  company  of  soldiers 
and  began  the  rebuilding  of  Fort  Dearborn.     John  Kinzie  and  his  family  returned. 
Indian  treaty  at  St.  Louis,  August  24th,  ceding  lands  at  Chicago  and  vicinity.48 
School  opened  in  the  fall  with  seven  or  eight  pupils.47      Indian  Agency  re-estab- 
lished.48    Major  Stephen  H.  Long  visits  Chicago.49 

1817.  Trading  house  of  Conant  &  Mack  established  at  Hardscrabble.50     John 
Crafts  arrived.51     John  B.  Beaubien  arrived.52    Samuel  A.  Storrow  visits  Chicago.53 

1818.  November  1st,  Gurdon  S.  Hubbard  arrived.     December  3d,  Illinois  ad- 
mitted as  a  state. 

1819.  Importance  of  a  canal  from  the  Illinois  river  to  Lake  Michigan  urged 
by  John  C.  Calhoun,  Secretary  of  War,  in  a  report  to  Congress.54 

1820.  Henry  R.  Schoolcraft  visits  Chicago.55     Dr.  Alexander  Wolcott  came.66 
C.  C.  Trowbridge  first  visits  Chicago. 

1821.  Ebenezer  Childs  visits  Chicago.57     Schoolcraft's  second  visit.58 

1822.  Charles  C.  Trowbridge  visits  Chicago  again.59 

1823.  Major   Long's    second   visit.60      Ft.    Dearborn    evacuated.61      Archibald 
Clybourn  came.62 

1824.  Jonas  Clybourn  came  in  this  year.03 

1825.  John  H.   Fonda  visits  Chicago.64 

1826.  First  election  in   Chicago;   thirty-five  persons  voted.65 

1827.  Ebenezer  Childs'  second  visit.66     Winnebago  War.67 

44Wis.  Hist.  Coll.,  XI,  324. 

45  Andreas  I,  85. 

46  Andreas,  I,  83. 

47  Ibid.,  204. 

48  Ibid.,   75. 

49  Andreas,  I,  166. 

50  Ibid.,  92. 

51  Ibid.,  93. 

52  Chicago  Hist.  Soc'y  Kept.,  1908,  p.  69. 
53Wis.   Hist.  Coll.,  VI,   154. 

"Moses'  "Hist.  III.,"  I,  462. 

55  Hurlbut,   189. 

56  Andreas,   I,   90. 

57  Ibid.,   100. 
68  Ibid.,   35. 

59  Ibid.,  100. 

60  Ferg.  Hist.  Series,  No.  i,  p.  21. 

61  Ibid.,  No.   16,  p.  27. 

62  Andreas,  I,  101. 

63  Ibid.,   IOL 
«*Ibid.,  100. 
65  Ibid.,   599. 
88  Ibid.,  100. 

87  Fergus,  No.  27,  p.  141. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  141 

1828.  Fonda's   second  visit.68      Fort  Dearborn   reoccupied.69 

1829.  Lieutenant  Jefferson  Davis  visits  Chicago.70     Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal 
incorporated." 1 

1830.  Canal   Section  platted.72      Special  election;  fifty-six  votes   cast.73 

1831.  March  81,  Chicago  post  office  established.74     May,  Fort  Dearborn  again 
evacuated.75       June  15,  Cook  County  Organized.76 

1832.  April,  Breaking  out  of  Black  Hawk  War.77     June  17th,  Fort  Dearborn 
again  reoccupied.78     August  3d,  End  of  Black  Hawk  War. 

08  Andreas,   I,   101. 

69  Fergus,   No.   16,  p.  27. 

70  Fergus,  No.   16,  28. 

71  Laws  relating  to  I.  &  M.   Can.,   10. 

72  Andreas,  I,  174. 

73  Fergus,  No.  7,  p.   54. 

74  Hurlbut,   p.   530. 

rs  Fergus,  No.  16,  p.  29. 

76  Rose,  "Counties  of  Illinois,"  p.   52. 

77  Andreas,  I,  p.  266. 

78  Fergus,  No.  16,  p.  30. 


t& 


CHAPTER  VIII 

NATURAL  FEATURES   OF  CHICAGO 

PHYSICAL  FEATURES  OF  LAKE  MICHIGAN FLUCTUATIONS  OP  THE  LAKE  LEVEL TIDES 

IN  THE  LAKE SUDDEN  AND  GRADUAL  FLUCTUATIONS OPENING  OF  THE  SANITARY 

CANAL CLIMATIC    EFFECT   OF   THE    LAKES ALTITUDE    OF   THE    LAKE    SURFACE 

NATURAL  HISTORY  OF  LAKE  MICHIGAN THE  FISH  OF  THE  LAKE GULLS  AND  TERNS 

BIRDS  OF  PASSAGE ASPECT  OF  THE  LAKE VISIBILITY  OF  THE  MICHIGAN  SHORE 

"BALD  TOM" — TRIANGULATION  SURVEYS  OVER  LAKE  MICHIGAN — MIRAGES  AND  LOOM- 
INGS DRAINING  LAKE   MICHIGAN PICTURESQUE   VALUE    OF  THE   LAKE PRAIRIES   OF 

ILLINOIS ASPECT  OF  THE  PRAIRIES EARLY  OPINIONS  REGARDING  THE  PRAIRIES 

CHICAGO'S  LOCATION — CLEAVER'S  OBSERVATIONS — TOPOGRAPHY  OF  THE  PRAIRIES — 

A   DESCRIPTION CLIMATE    OF    CHICAGO PREVAILING   WINDS WIND    VELOCITIES 

THUNDERSTORMS RAIN   AND   SNOW    FALLS MEAN    TEMPERATURES GENERAL   OB- 
SERVATIONS. 

LAKE  MICHIGAN 

AKE  Superior  is  the  largest  body  of  fresh  water  in  the  world,  with  an  ap- 
proximate area  of  31,200  square  miles.  Next  in  order  of  size  comes 
Lake  Victoria  Nyanza  in  Africa,  with  an  approximate  area  of  26,000 
square  miles.  The  third  in  order  of  size  is  Lake  Michigan,  with  an  ap- 
proximate area  of  22,500  1  square  miles.  It  is  three  hundred  and  twenty 
miles  long  and  is  eighty-five  miles  broad  at  its  widest  part.2 

"Lake  Michigan  receives  the  drainage  of  only  a  very  narrow  belt  in  northeast- 
ern Illinois  and  northwestern  Indiana,  comprised  mainly  in  the  drainage  of  the  Chi- 
cago and  Calumet  rivers.  It  drains  about  one-half  the  area  of  the  southern  pen- 
insula of  Michigan  and  1,500  square  miles  of  the  northeast  part  of  Indiana.  It 
drains  also  an  area  of  several  thousand  square  miles  in  the  northern  peninsula  of 
Michigan  and  adjacent  portions  of  Wisconsin,  mainly  tributary  to  Green  Bay.  South 
of  the  Green  Bay  drainage  system,  only  a  narrow  belt  is  tributary  to  the  lake.  The 
watershed  draining  to  Lake  Michigan  is  estimated  to  be  45,000  square  miles,  and 
the  total  area  of  the  basin  [including  the  lake  itself]  is  68,100  square  miles."  3 

PHYSICAL    FEATURES    OF    LAKE    MICHIGAN 

There  is  no  other  lake  in  America,  north  or  south,  which  traverses  so  many  de- 
grees of  latitude,  extending  from  45  degrees,  55  minutes  on  the  north,  to  41  degrees, 

1  Salisbury:  "Physiography,"  p.  297. 
-  Disturnell:    "Great  Lakes,"  p.  14. 
3Leverett:  "Illinois  Glacial  Lobe,"  p.  538. 

142 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  143 

37  minutes  on  the  south.  There  are  a  number  of  islands  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  lake; — Beaver  island,  comprising  an  area  of  about  forty  square  miles,  the  Fox 
islands,  and  the  Manitous.  South  of  the  latter  there  is  a  stretch  of  over  two  hun- 
dred miles  to  the  southern  end  of  the  lake  in  which  there  are  no  islands  or  even  a 
sand-bar  of  any  description  rising  above  the  surface.  As  the  bed  of  the  lake  is  com- 
posed of  clay,  sand  and  gravel  throughout  this  portion  of  its  extent,  there  is  no 
danger  to  navigation  from  the  occurrence  of  rocks  either  in  its  bed  or  on  its  shores, 
and  vessels  driven  by  storms  can  find  good  holding  ground  for  their  anchors.  There 
are,  however,  some  rather  dangerous  shoals  and  reefs,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of 
Racine  and  South  Chicago,  which  are  shown  on  the  government  "Lake  Survey" 
charts,  printed  for  the  use  of  navigators. 

The  elevation  of  the  surface  of  Lake  Michigan  above  the  sea  is  five  hundred  and 
eighty-one  feet,4  and  its  approximate  maximum  depth  is  eight  hundred  and  seventy 
feet.  Its  southwestern  shores  are  bordered  with  "dunes"  of  sand  nearly  white,  ris- 
ing in  mounds  of  many  graceful  shapes.  The  summits  of  some  of  these  dunes  in 
places  reach  an  extreme  height  of  one  hundred  feet  or  more.5  "These  dunes  are, 
however,  but  a  hem  on  the  fertile  prairie  lands,"  said  Schoolcraft  in  1820,  "not  ex- 
tending more  than  half  a  mile  or  more,  and  thus  masking  the  fertile  lands.  Water 
in  the  shape  of  lagoons,  is  often  accummulated  behind  these  sand-banks,  and  the 
force  of  the  winds  is  such  as  to  choke  and  sometimes  entirely  shut  up  the  mouth  of 
its  rivers.  We  had  found  this  hem  of  sand-hills  extending  around  the  southern  shore 
of  the  lake  from  the  vicinity  of  Chicago,  and  soon  found  that  it  gave  an  appearance 
of  sterility  to  the  country  that  it  by  no  means  merited."  On  other  portions  of  the 
lake  the  shore  is  a  somewhat  irregular  line  of  bluffs,  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  feet 
in  height,  though  there  are  eminences  which  attain  a  much  greater  elevation,  as,  for 
instance,  "Bald  Tom,"  situated  on  the  Michigan  shore,  directly  east  from  Chicago, 
which  is  two  hundred  and  forty  feet  high.  An  English  traveler,  in  the  course  of 
a  description  of  the  view  landward  from  a  passing  steamer,  used  the  expression, 
"the  monotonous  shores  of  Lake  Michigan,"  which  from  a  distance  may  have  de- 
served such  a  mention,  if  by  that  it  was  intended  to  notice  the  absence  of  hills  or 
mountain  ranges  in  the  vicinity  of  its  shores. 

The  whole  extent  of  the  shore  line  of  Lake  Michigan  is  1320  miles.  The  length 
of  Chicago's  shore  line,  from  the  Indiana  state  line  on  the  south  to  the  city  limits 
at  the  "Indian  Boundary  Line"  on  the  north,  is  25^  miles.  The  city  frontage 
therefore  occupies  about  one-fifty-second  part  of  the  entire  coast  line  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan, thus  forming  a  suitable  and  appropriate  outlook  for  the  Queen  City  "of  the 
Unsalted  Seas." 

FLUCTUATIONS  OF  THE  LAKE  LEVEL 

The  fluctuations  in  the  level  of  the  waters  of  the  Great  Lakes  have  attracted 
much  attention  among  scientific  observers  to  ascertain  if  possibly  they  could  be 
identified  with  regular  tidal  movements.  As  early  as  1670,  Father  Dablon  in  the 
"Jesuit  Relations,"  says,  "as  to  the  tides,  it  is  difficult  to  lay  down  any  correct 
rule.  At  one  time  we  have  found  the  motion  of  the  waters  to  be  regular,  and  at 
others  extremely  fluctuating.  We  have  noticed,  however,  that  at  full  moon  and 

4  Lake  Survey  Bulletin,  No.  18,  p.  90. 

5  Salisbury:    "Geography  of  Chicago,"  p.  60 


144  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

new  moon  the  tides  change  once  a  day  for  eight  or  ten  days,  while  during  the  re- 
mainder of  the  time  there  is  hardly  any  change  perceptible." 

TIDES    IN    THE    LAKE 

It  is  worth  while  remarking,  in  this  connection,  that  Schoolcraft,  who  was  an 
eminent  geologist,  and  who  visited  Green  Bay  in  1820,  did  not  believe  there  were 
any  tides  in  the  lakes.  "Governor  Cass  caused  observations  to  be  made,"  he  says, 
"which  he  greatly  extended  at  a  subsequent  period.  These  give  no  countenance  to 
the  theory  of  regular  tides,  but  denote  the  changes  in  the  level  of  the  waters  to  be 
eccentrically  irregular,  and  dependent,  so  far  as  observations  extend,  altogether  on 
the  condition  of  the  winds  and  currents  of  the  lakes."6 

Whether  or  not  there  is  actually  a  lunar  tide  in  Lake  Michigan  was  made  the 
subject  of  an  address  by  Lieutenant  Colonel  James  D.  Graham,  a  government  en- 
gineer, before  the  American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  in  1860. 
Referring  to  the  writings  of  the  early  missionaries  and  explorers,  he  said  that  in 
them  were  noted  some  peculiar  fluctuations  in  the  elevation  of  the  waters  of  these 
inland  seas.  "In  the  speculations  indulged  in  by  some  of  these  writers,"  he  con- 
tinued, "a  slight  lunar  tide  is  sometimes  suspected,  then  again  such  an  influence 
on  the  swelling  and  receding  waters  is  doubted,  and  their  disturbance  is  attributed 
to  the  varying  courses  and  forces  of  the  winds. 

"But  we  have  nowhere  seen  that  any  systematic  course  of  observation  was  ever 
instituted  and  carried  on  by  these  early  explorers,  or  by  any  of  their  successors  who 
have  mentioned  the  subject,  giving  the  tidal  readings  at  small  enough  intervals  of 
time  apart,  and  by  long  enough  duration  to  develop  the  problem  of  a  diurnal  lunar 
tidal  wave  on  these  lakes.  The  general  idea  has  undoubtedly  been  that  no  such 
lunar  influence  was  here  perceptible. 

"In  April,  1854,  I  was  stationed  at  Chicago  by  the  orders  of  the  Government,  and 
charged  with  the  direction  of  the  harbor  improvements  on  Lake  Michigan.  In  the 
latter  part  of  August  of  that  year,  I  caused  to  be  erected  at  the  east  or  lakeward 
extremity  of  the  north  harbor  pier,  a  permanent  tide-gauge  for  the  purpose  of  mak- 
ing daily  observations  of  the  relative  heights  and  fluctuations  of  the  surface  of  this 
lake. 

"The  position  thus  chosen  for  the  observations  projects  into  the  lake,  entirely 
beyond  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river,  and  altogether  out  of  the  reach  of  any  in- 
fluence from  the  river  current  upon  the  fluctuations  of  the  tide-gauge.  It  was  the 
fluctuations  of  the  lake  surface  alone  that  could  affect  the  readings  of  the  tide- 
gauge. 

"On  the  first  day  of  September,  1854,  a  course  of  observations  was  commenced 
on  this  tide-gauge,  and  continued  at  least  once  a  day,  until  the  thirty-first  day  of 
December,  inclusive,  1858.  .  .  These  observations  were  instituted  chiefly  for 
the  purpose  of  ascertaining  with  accuracy  the  amount  of  the  annual  and  also  of  the 
secular  variation  in  the  elevation  of  the  lake  surface,  with  a  view  to  regulating  the 
heights  of  breakwaters  and  piers  to  be  erected  for  the  protection  of  vessels,  and  for 
improving  the  lake  harbors."  7 

6  Schoolcraft :  "Mississippi,"  pp.   191,  214. 

7  Coast  &  Geodetic  Survey,  1907,  p.  485. 


^Stations,  at  Mfiicli  eitksr  the  latitude,  Zongifiuiej 

lfments/i<zt/elyeen  obeerYe<i>  are 
,  by  t.L.  a,,  m/. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  145 

RESULTS  OF  TIDAL  OBSERVATIONS 

The  result  of  this  series  of  tidal  observations,  continued  over  a  period  of  four 
years  and  four  months,  is  given  by  Colonel  Graham  as  follows:  "The  difference  of 
elevation  of  the  lake  surface,  between  the  periods  of  lunar  low  and  lunar  high 
water  at  the  mean  spring  tides  is  here  shown  to  be  two  hundred  and  fifty-four 
thousandths  (.254)  of  a  foot,  and  the  time  of  high  water  at  the  full  and  change 
of  the  moon  is  shown  to  be  thirty  minutes  after  the  time  of  the  moon's  meridian 
transit." 

For  the  benefit  of  readers  who  may  not  be  accustomed  to  terms  familiar  enough 
to  residents  of  tide-water  regions,  we  will  here  state  that  "spring  tides"  have 
no  relation  to  the  spring  season.  Spring  tides  occur  twice  a  month.8 

Colonel  Graham  sought  to  justify  himself  in  taking  so  much  pains  to  ascertain 
the  facts  regarding  tidal  movements  in  Lake  Michigan,  by  saying:  "Although  this 
knowledge  may  be  of  but  small  practical  advantage  to  navigators,  yet  it  may  serve 
as  a  memorandum  of  a  physical  phenomenon  whose  existence  has  generally  here- 
tofore been  either  denied  or  doubted."  He  concluded  his  paper  by  submitting  his  ob- 
servations as  a  solution  of  the  "problem  in  question,"  and  as  "proving  the  existence  of 
a  semi-diurnal  lunar  tidal  wave  on  Lake  Michigan,  and  consequently  on  the  other 
great  fresh  water  lakes  of  North  America,"  varying  from  fifteen  hundredths  of  a 
foot  to  twenty-five  hundredths  of  a  foot;  that  is,  from  one  and  four-fifths  inches 
to  three  inches  rise  and  fall.9 

"Colonel  J.  D.  Graham's  report  on  the  tides  in  Lake  Michigan,"  says  R.  A. 
Harris  in  the  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey  Report  for  1907,  "have  not  been  altered  by 
subsequent  observations."  Graham's  work  was  discussed  by  Ferrel  in  his  book 
"Tidal  Researches"  (pp.  250-255) ;  Harris  accords  Colonel  Graham  the  honor 
of  being  the  discoverer  of  tides  in  the  lakes. 

Professor  Salisbury  of  the  University  of  Chicago  sums  up  the  matter  in  his 
work  entitled  "Physiography"  as  follows:  "Tides  are  imperceptible  in  small  lakes 
and  feeble  in  large  lakes  and  enclosed  seas.  In  Lake  Michigan,  for  example,  there 
is  a  tide  of  about  two  inches." 

SUDDEN  AND  GRADUAL  FLUCTUATIONS 

Oscillations  of  the  lake  level  are  familiar  phenomena  to  residents  on  the  shores 
of  the  lake.  "They  are  generally  attributed  by  scientific  men,"  wrote  Thomas  C. 
Clarke  in  1861,  "to  atmospheric  disturbances,  which,  by  increasing  or  diminishing 
the  atmosphere  pressure,  produce  a  corresponding  rise  or  fall  in  the  water-level. 
These  are  the  sudden  and  irregular  fluctuations.  The  gradual  fluctuations  are 
probably  caused  by  the  variable  amount  of  rain  which  falls  in  the  vast  area  of 
country  drained  by  the  lakes."  Thus,  according  to  a  more  recent  authority  it  may 
be  said  in  general  that  the  levels  of  lakes,  with  river  outlets  of  limited  volume, 
change  from  time  to  time,  according  to  the  amount  of  precipitation  on  their  sur- 
faces and  contiguous  territory.  The  sources  of  such  a  body  of  water  as  Lake 
Michigan,  for  example,  are  springs  and  rivers;  and,  since  these  are  dependent  upon 

s  Salisbury:   "Physiography,"  p.  744. 
9Disturnell,    p.   23. 
Vol.  I— 10 


146  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

rain  and  snow,  the  source  of  the  supply  of  lake  water  may  be  said  to  be  atmospheric 
precipitation.  The  fluctuations  in  the  level  of  Lake  Michigan  in  different  seasons 
is  thus  accounted  for;  10  though  in  the  case  of  the  frequently  observed  sudden 
changes  in  lake  levels  the  cause  is  found  in  atmospheric  pressure.  "A  sudden 
change  in  atmosphere  pressure  on  one  part  of  a  large  lake,"  says  Salisbury, 
"causes  changes  of  level  everywhere.  If  the  pressure  is  increased  in  one  place, 
the  surface  of  the  water  there  is  lowered  and  the  surface  elsewhere  correspondingly 
raised." 

On  the  30th  of  April,  1909,  a  very  remarkable  rise  of  water  of  the  lake  occurred, 
reaching  a  height  of  six  feet  at  Evanston.  It  rose  and  retired  within  the  space 
of  a  few  hours  coining  jus't  after  a  storm  of  unusual  severity.  The  account  of  it 
in  the  Evanston  Index  of  the  next  day,  says:  "The  lake  shore  presents  a  highly 
interesting  sight  following  the  action  of  the  tidal  wave  which  washed  clear  to  the 
middle  of  the  lake  front  park,  filling  the  lagoon  with  debris  and  leaving  a  big 
windrow  of  driftwood  of  all  sizes  and  shapes  to  mark  its  extreme  reach."  The 
Chicago  Tribune  of  May  1st,  1909,  states  that  the  storm  above  referred  to  caused 
the  loss  of  five  lives,  and  of  property  estimated  at  $2,000,000.  Collapsed  and 
unroofed  houses  dotted  the  stretch  of  prairie  land  near  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road in  the  neighborhood  of  Seventy-fifth  street.  "The  storm  caused  unusual  dis- 
turbances in  Lake  Michigan  at  the  Thirty-ninth  street  pumping  station ;  variations 
in  the  lake  level  of  between  four  and  five  feet  occurred." 

In  the  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey  Report  for  1907  (page  473),  it  is  stated 
that  "the  most  common  cause  of  these  periodic  movements  is  the  wind  blowing  over 
bodies  of  water  in  which  they  occur.  The  seldom  variations  in  barometric  pressure 
may  cause  seiches  [or  tidal  waves]  in  lakes  and  other  nearly  enclosed  bodies  of 
water." 

GRADUAL    FLUCTUATIONS    OF    THE    LAKE 

The  variations  in  the  water  levels  of  the  lake  extending  over  comparatively  long 
periods  of  time,  for  example  a  month,  a  year,  or  even  for  a  longer  period,  have 
been  carefully  measured  at  stated  intervals,  for  more  than  fifty  years.  Results 
from  such  measurements,  disregarding  the  sudden  rises  and  subsidences  of  which 
we  have  spoken,  show  a  slow  increase  or  decrease  in  the  general  height  of  the 
surface,  as  compared  with  the  level  of  the  sea,  such  fluctuations  sometimes  extend- 
ing over  years  of  time. 

The  mean  stage  of  water  on  the  lake,  for  the  period  extending  from  1860  to 
1907  (inclusive),  is  given  on  the  chart  of  Lake  Michigan,  issued  by  the  United 
States  Lake  Survey,  as  581.32  feet  above  mean  tide  at  New  York.  The  highest 
stage  of  water  on  record  was  that  of  "the  high  water  of  1838,"  when  it  stood  at 
584.69  feet  above  sea  level.  The  lowest  stage  was  that  of  December,  1895,  dur- 
ing which  month  the  average  was  578.98  feet.  Thus  between  the  extremes  there 
was  a  variation  of  5.71  feet. 

There  had,  however,  been  many  noteworthy  fluctuations  throughout  the  period 
from  1838  down  to  the  end  of  the  century  between  these  extremes,  as  will  be 
shown  below.  For  example,  in  the  year  1869  the  level  declined  to  580  feet,  followed 

10  Salisbury:  "Physiography,"  p.   301. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  147 

two  years  later  by  a  rise  to  582.7  feet.     Again,  there  was  a  decline  in   1873,  to 
579.9  feet,  followed  by  a  rise,  in  1876,  to  583.5   feet. 

In  1880,  a  low  stage  was  again  reached  when  the  level  stood  at  580.7  feet;  after 
which  there  was  a  gradual  rise  to  the  year  1886,  when  the  level  stood  at  583.6  feet. 
After  that  there  was  a  gradual  descent  for  ten  years,  and,  in  1896,  the  level 
dropped  to  579  feet,  the  lowest  on  record.  The  level  again  began  to  rise  so  that 
by  the  year  1900  the  elevation  was  580.7  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

FLUCTUATIONS    SHOWN    BY    A    CHART 

This  may  be  best  illustrated  by  a  rough  chart  showing  the  variations  in  the 
water  levels  for  certain  years  for  alternately  high  and  low  stages  of  the  lake.  From 
this  it  can  be  seen  that  the  intervals,  within  which  a  gradual  rise  or  decline  is 
taking  place,  are  very  irregular. 

AVERAGE    ELEVATIONS   OF   THE   SURFACE   OF    LAKE    MICHIGAN 
ABOVE     SEA    LEVEL,     IN     CERTAIN     YEARS, 

AS  SHOWN: 

Range  1838     1869    1871   1873   1876   1880    1886    1896     1900 

584+   584.69  n   

583+      583.5       583.6       

582+      582.7       

581+      

580+      580.0      580.7      580.7 

579+      579.9       579.0  12       

OPENING    OF    THE    SANITARY    CANAL 

The  great  Sanitary  Canal,  elsewhere  described,  was  completed,  and  the  waters 
of  Lake  Michigan  began  to  flow  through  its  channel,  in  January,  1900.  During 
the  .previous  year  (1899)  the  highest  point  reached  had  been  581.1  feet.  It  may  be 
remarked  here  that  the  water  levels  for  every  year,  as  shown  by  the  United  States 
Lake  Survey  charts,  are,  on  the  average,  highest  in  midsummer  and  lowest  in  mid- 
winter. 

When  the  canal  was  opened  the  elevation  of  the  lake  was  a  fraction  above  580 
feet,  the  average  for  the  year  1900  being  580.7  feet.  It  was  freely  predicted  that 
there  would  be  a  serious  fall  in  the  lake  level  by  reason  of  the  quantity  of  water 
taken  by  the  canal — about  four  thousand  cubic  feet  a  second — ,  and  that  navigation 
interests  would  suffer.  It  was  observed,  however,  that  the  usual  rising  tendency  in 
the  early  months  of  the  year  followed  its  regular  course  to  the  middle  of  the  sum- 
mer followed  by  the  usual  decline  in  the  later  months,  the  effect  of  the  canal  flow 
being  imperceptible  as  compared  with  previous  records. 

TEN  YEARS'  OPERATION  OF  THE  CANAL 

In  a  letter  written  by  Mr.  Isham  Randolph,  Consulting  Engineer  of  the 
Sanitary  District,  dated  May  9th,  1910,  a  brief  review  of  the  effect  of  the  canal  is 

11  Highest  on  record. 

12  Lowest  on  record. 


148  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

given.  "Water  from  Lake  Michigan/'  he  says,  "has  been  flowing  westward  through 
the  Sanitary  Canal  for  ten  years  and  four  months,  and  navigation  interests  have 
not  suffered  an  atom's  loss  in  carrying  capacity.  The  lake  stages,  as  observed  by 
the  Engineers  of  the  United  States  Army,  afford  the  only  authentic  source  of  knowl- 
edge bearing  upon  that  feature  of  the  controversy  between  the  Sanitary  District 
of  Chicago  and  the  Government  of  the  United  States. 

"The  published  hydrographs  which  set  forth  the  facts  show  that  between  Decem- 
ber, 1894,  and  January,  1900,  the  level  of  Lake  Michigan  reached  581  once  only. 
In  August,  1899,  the  highest  stage,  the  elevation  was  581.05;  whereas,  in  1901,  it 
reached  an  elevation  of  581.10;  in  1904,  581.45;  1905,  581.65;  1906,  581.45;  1907, 
581.55;  and  in  1908,  581.85;  and  in  all  the  years  since  1899  the  low  water  has 
never  been  so  low  as  it  averaged  in  the  nine  years  previous  to  1900;  and  the  dif- 
ference in  favor  of  the  later  period  has  not  been  accounted  for  by  excess  of  rain- 
fall in  the  years  since  1900,  as  disclosed  by  the  records  published  by  the  Govern- 
ment." 

It  is  thus  shown  that  the  fears  entertained  as  to  the  decline  in  the  level  of  the 
lake,  by  reason  of  the  abstraction  of  water  through  the  Sanitary  Canal,  have  no 
basis  of  support,  and  that  the  lake  for  the  ten  years  that  the  canal  has  been  in  use 
has  actually  risen  in  its  general  level. 

CLIMATIC  EFFECT  OF  THE   LAKES 

"The  great  number  of  lakes  in  the  northern  part  of  the  United  States  and  Eu- 
rope," Salisbury  states,  "have  some  influence  upon  the  climate  of  the  regions  in 
which  they  occur.  They  increase  its  humidity  to  some  slight  extent  at  least,  and, 
since  water  is  heated  less  readily  than  the  land  and  gives  up  its  heat  less  readily, 
the  lakes  have  the  effect  of  tempering  the  climate.  Until  they  freeze  over,  they 
tend  to  keep  the  temperature  of  their  surroundings  a  little  higher  than  it  would 
otherwise  be  in  the  autumn  and  early  winter,  and  to  reduce  the  temperature  of  the 
spring.  The  temperature  effects  of  lakes  are  felt  chiefly  on  the  sides  toward  which 
the  prevailing  winds  blow."  Lake  Michigan  however,  keeps  open  in  the  center  all 
through  the  cold  season,  the  ice  seldom  becoming  firm  more  than  a  mile  from  the 
shore,  and  then  frequently  broken  up  by  gales.  "In  the  winter  of  1874-5,  Professor 
Hazen  tells  us  in  his  work,  "The  Climate  of  Chicago,"  "ice  was  cut  sixteen  inches 
thick  two  or  three  miles  out  on  the  lake,  but  this  is  a  rare  occurrence." 

"The  prevailing  westerly  winds  temper  the  climate  of  the  east  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  it  favorable  for  fruit-growing,  while  the  west 
side  of  the  lake,  affected  by  winds  not  tempered  by  the  lake,  is  not  favorable  for 
this  industry." 

ALTITUDE  OF   THE   LAKE   SURFACE 

The  elevation  of  the  surface  of  Lake  Michigan  above  the  sea,  as  previously 
stated,  is  five  hundred  and  eighty-one  feet,  and  its  approximate  maximum  depth 
is  eight  hundred  and  seventy  feet.13  Its  greatest  depth,  on  a  line  directly  east  from 
Chicago,  is  about  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet.  This  rapidly  increases  towards 
the  north  until  the  greatest  depth  between  Racine  and  Holland  is  nearly  six  hun- 
dred feet.  North  of  this  line  the  water  becomes  shallower  until  the  greatest  depth 

"Salisbury:   "Physiography,"  p.   297. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  149 

of  water  between  Milwaukee  and  Grand  Haven  is  only  about  two  hundred  feet, 
this  appearing  to  be  the  summit  of  a  ridge  between  the  two  basins  in  which  Lake 
Michigan  lies.  Further  north  the  bottom  descends  to  a  considerably  greater  depth 
again,  where  in  fact,  the  deepest  portion  of  the  lake  is  found.14 

If  the  city  of  Chicago  were,  by  some  magic,  placed  on  the  bottom  of  the  lake 
in  its  deepest  part,  directly  east  of  its  present  location,  at  a  point  some  thirty  or 
thirty-five  miles  distant,  it  would  by  no  means  be  buried  from  view,  for  all  the 
buildings  higher  than  one  hundred  and  seventy- five  feet  would  project  above  its 
surface.  For  example,  the  Montgomery  Ward  tower,  three  hundred  and  ninety-four 
feet  in  height,  would  still  rise  two  hundred  and  twenty  feet  above  the  lake,  and  a 
multitude  of  other  buildings,  domes,  roofs  and  chimneys,  would  likewise  extend  up- 
wards into  view. 

THE    NATURAL    HISTORY    OP    LAKE    MICHIGAN 

Some  notice  of  the  animal  life  of  the  lake,  its  fishes  and  aquatic  birds,  seems  ap- 
propriate in  this  place.  The  first  mention  of  fishes  will  naturally  be  that  of  the 
common  whitefish,  a  species  of  fish  occurring  in  vast  abundance  in  all  the  Great 
Lakes.  While  it  was  formerly  abundant  in  that  part  of  Lake  Michigan  adjacent  to 
the  shore  of  Illinois,  it  is  not  so  now,  as  reckless  fishing  has  reduced  its  numbers 
to  insignificant  proportions.  Indeed  the  numbers  of  this  desirable  fish  have  been 
greatly  diminished  throughout  the  entire  extent  of  the  Great  Lakes,  and  at  Chi- 
cago they  have  practically  disappeared  from  the  returns,  only  two  hundred  pounds 
being  given  as  the  yearly  catch  in  1899,  a  vast  reduction  from  the  figures  shown  in 
1885,  which  were  eighty  thousand  pounds  in  that  year.15 

Another  important  fish  of  our  Great  Lakes  is  the  lake  trout,  which  though 
common  in  the  northern  part  of  Lake  Michigan  is  rarer  to  the  southward.  It  is 
extremely  variable  in  size,  form  and  color,  particularly  under  the  influence  of 
local  conditions,  and  hence  has  received  many  local  names, — Mackinaw  trout, 
salmon  trout,  and  a  variety  of  other  names.  Lake  trout  are  closely  allied  to  brook 
trout,  though  they  attain  a  far  greater  size.  "This  is  due,"  says  Goode,  of  the 
United  States  Fish  Commission,  "to  the  greater  ease  with  which,  for  hundreds  of 
generations,  the  lake  trout  have  obtained  their  food.  They  are  almost  always  found 
in  the  same  lakes  with  one  or  more  kind  of  whitefish,  whose  slow  helpless  move- 
ments render  them  an  easy  prey,  and  upon  whose  tender  luscious  flesh  the  lake 
trout  feeds  voraciously."  16 

OTHER    VARIETIES    OF    FISH 

Of  the  fish  found  in  the  Great  Lakes  there  are  but  a  few  which  are  common  to 
the  river  systems  of  Illinois,  the  "Michigan  district,"  as  it  is  called  in  the  "Natural 
History  Survey  of  Illinois,"  being  "the  farthest  removed  from  the  Illinois  ichthyo- 
logically."  17  One  species,  the  lake  sturgeon,  was  formerly  met  with  frequently 
in  this  part  of  the  lake,  but  has  now  practically  disappeared.  The  sturgeon  was 
common  in  the  Mississippi  river  along  our  own  state  borders  in  former  years,  but 

14Leverett:   "Illinois  Glacial  Lobe,"  p.  12. 

15  "Nat.   Hist.   Survey,   Illinois,"   III,   p.    52. 

16  Ibid.,  Ill,  p.   56. 

17  Ibid.,  Ill,  p.  90. 


150  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

is  now  rarely  taken.  At  Alton,  Illinois,  fishermen  take  not  more  than  five  or  six 
in  a  year  that  weigh  over  ten  pounds,  whereas  fifteen  or  twenty  years  ago  forty 
or  fifty  large  ones,  weighing  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  pounds  each  were  taken 
during  a  given  year.18  The  lake  sturgeon  is  said  to  inhabit  comparatively  shoal 
waters  in  the  lakes,  and  were  frequently  taken  by  our  lake  fishermen  near  the  shores. 
Captain  Lawson,  an  old  time  fisherman  living  at  Evanston,  states  that  he  took  a 
sturgeon  from  the  lake  near  Gross  Point  in  1872,  which  measured  six  and  one-half 
feet  in  length,  and  weighed  one  hundred  and  five  pounds.  As  late  as  1900,  he  caught 
one  on  a  "set  line"  which  weighed  eighty-five  pounds,  but  he  says  he  has  seen  none 
since. 

The  so-called  lake  herring  "is  by  far  the  most  abundant  food-fish  of  the  Great 
Lakes,"  says  Professor  Forbes,  in  the  "Natural  History  Survey  of  Illinois."19  In 
1899,  there  were  twenty  million  pounds  of  this  fish  caught  in  Lake  Michigan. 
They  are  the  chief  reliance  of  fishermen  along  the  Illinois  shore  of  the  lake,  and 
always  find  a  ready  market  notwithstanding  their  small  size.  They  are  taken  in 
nets  in  great  quantities  within  a  mile  of  the  shore.  The  name  of  herring  "is  a  mis- 
nomer," says  Professor  Forbes,  "as  this  is  properly  a  whitefish  and  not  a  herring. 
It  should  be  generally  known  by  the  much  more  distinctive  name  of  cisco,  already 
frequently  used  for  it,  but  now  commonly  limited  to  a  variety  of  the  species  found 
in  the  smaller  lakes  of  Wisconsin  and  of  Indiana."  20 

The  yellow  perch  is  one  of  the  best  known  fishes  in  this  region  of  the  lake, 
its  principal  mission  in  life  apparently  being  to  furnish  sport  to  youthful  anglers, 
and  indeed  to  thousands  of  grown  people  as  well.  It  swarms  along  the  piers  and 
breakwaters  of  the  lake  shore,  and,  in  1899,  the  total  catch  of  perch,  from  the  Illi- 
nois shore  of  the  lake,  was  677,000  pounds  according  to  the  returns,  though  this 
must  have  been  far  short  of  the  quantity  actually  taken  of  which  no  record  could 
be  made.  It  prefers  the  clear,  cool  waters  of  the  lakes  and  running  streams.  While 
the  perch  has  always  been  found  in  the  rivers  of  northern  Illinois,  it  is  said  to 
have  greatly  increased  since  the  opening  of  the  drainage  canal  has  allowed  an  im- 
mense volume  of  lake  water  to  flow  into  the  Illinois.  As  a  game  fish,  the  yellow 
perch  can  be  commended  chiefly  on  account  of  the  fact  that  anybody  can  catch  it; 
it  can  be  taken  with  hook  and  line  any  month  in  the  year,  and  with  any  sort  of 
bait.21 

The  German  carp,  which  have  become  remarkably  abundant  in  the  rivers  of  Illi- 
nois since  their  introduction  by  the  United  States  Fish  Commission  in  1880,  have 
not  made  much  impression  in  the  fish  product  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  probably  never 
will.  While  the  streams  flowing  into  the  lake  were  planted  with  carp  they  do  not 
thrive  well  in  the  lake  itself,  as  they  prefer  moderately  warm  water  with  plenty  of 
aquatic  vegetation.  The  fishermen  often  find  them  in  their  nets,  but  they  are  dif- 
ficult to  capture  owing  to  their  propensity  to  leap  over  the  floating  edge  of  the 
nets  and  escape.  The  introduction  of  the  German  carp,  like  that  of  the  English 
sparrow,  has  been  much  condemned  owing  to  their  supposed  crowding  out  of  more 
desirable  fishes,  and  that  they  are  inferior  as  a  foodfish.  Practically,  however,  it 

18  "Nat.  Hist.  Survey  111.,"  Ill,  25. 
i»  Ibid.,  Ill,  54- 

20  Ibid.,  Ill,  54. 

21  Ibid.,  Ill,  278. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  151 

has  not  been  found  that  either  of  these  objections  to  their  presence  has  much  force, 
for  other  fish  are  as  numerous  as  before,  and  more  so  in  fact,  in  spite  of  the  carp, 
and  there  is  a  constant  demand  for  these  fish  in  the  markets.  The  shipments  of 
carp  from  the  Illinois  river  alone  now  reaches  six  to  eight  million  pounds  a  year, 
valued  at  more  than  $200,000;  indeed  the  carp  have  brought  more  money  than  the 
catch  of  all  the  other  fish  combined.22 

Under  the  authority  of  the  state  legislature  there  was  published  in  1908  a  volume 
descriptive  of  the  fishes  of  Illinois,  which  is  known  as  Volume  III  of  the  "Natural 
History  Survey  of  Illinois."  This  work  of  nearly  five  hundred  pages,  beautifully 
illustrated  with  drawings,  is  a  credit  to  the  director  of  the  State  Laboratory  of 
Natural  History,  Stephen  A.  Forbes,  and  his  colleague,  Robert  E.  Richardson,  as 
well  as  to  the  state  legislature  which  authorized  its  preparation. 

GULLS  AND   TERNS 

No  one  who  is  familiar  with  scenes  along  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan  can  have 
failed  to  observe  the  great  numbers  of  gulls  which  resort  thither  in  certain  seasons 
of  the  year.  They  are  not  shy  of  inhabited  places,  and  follow  the  river  through 
the  city  circling  about  over  its  surface  in  search  of  food.  These  interesting  speci- 
mens of  bird  life  are  watched  with  the  greatest  interest  by  curious  crowds  from  the 
bridges  and  piers  on  the  river  and  lake  shore.  Travelers  on  the  railroads  entering 
the  city,  along  the  shore  of  the  lake  from  the  south,  often  see  them  in  great  flocks 
circling  around  the  edge  of  the  lake,  where  their  presence  adds  a  picturesque  ele- 
ment to  the  scene.  While  there  are  several  varieties  of  gulls  known  to  naturalists, 
the  most  common  is  the  herring  gull.  This  gull  is  also  frequent  on  the  Atlantic 
coast,  and  many  of  them  pass  over  the  chain  of  lakes  and  rivers  from  the  coast  to 
these  inland  waters.  The  larger  terns  are  often  called  gulls,  are  of  similar  appear- 
ance and  habits,  but  of  smaller  size.  Many  varieties  of  gulls,  curlews,  terns  and 
kittiwakes  visit  this  region  at  one  time  or  another,  and  are  among  the  most  interest- 
ing visitors  that  we  have,  and  in  their  wheeling  flights  are  one  of  the  prettiest 
sights  on  the  lake.23 

It  sometimes  happens  that  fierce  storms  raging  inland  from  the  Atlantic  coast 
drive  a  few  individuals  of  strictly  maritime  species  to  this  region,  where  they  find 
a  temporary  refuge  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan.  Thus  within  recent  years 
our  local  naturalists  have  obtained  specimens  of  the  Burgomaster  gull,  the  Franklin 
gull,  the  Iceland  gull,  the  Caspian  tern,  and  the  "man-o'-war"  bird ;  and  it  is  be- 
lieved that  in  time  many  other  varieties  of  sea-coast  birds,  so  far  not  taken  or  rec- 
ognized, will  be  found  and  added  to  the  list  of  "accidental  visitants."  To  the  proxim- 
ity of  Lake  Michigan  we  are  indebted  for  visits  of  "extra-limital"  birds  of  various 
aquatic  species,  some  belonging  to  the  Pacific  coast  regions,  and  others,  like  the 
Florida  cormorant,  wandering  far  to  the  north  of  its  usual  range,  finding  a  tem- 
porary abode  on  our  shores. 

WILD    PIGEONS 

Up  to  the  year  1880  there  were  great  numbers  of  wild  pigeons  found  in  this 
region,  and  throughout  the  North  and  West  generally.  During  the  season  of  their 

22  "Nat.  Hist.  Survey,  111.,"  Ill,   106. 

23  Frank  M.  Woodruff:  "Birds  of  the  Chicago  Area"  (Chicago  Academy  of  Sciences),  p.  17. 


152  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

presence  in  the  North  they  were  met  with  in  incredible  numbers,  no  other  game 
bird  comparing  with  them  in  this  respect.  The  wild  pigeon,  otherwise  known  as 
the  "Passenger  pigeon,"  was  one  of  the  finest  and  noblest  species  of  game  birds  that 
has  ever  inhabited  the  country,  and  so  numerous  were  they  that  old  residents  relate 
experiences  hardly  to  be  believed.  After  the  spring  migrations  their  resting  places 
were  so  thronged  that  they  often  were  found  upon  the  ground  beneath  trees  hiding 
in  the  undergrowth.  Many  farmers  derived  a  considerable  part  of  their  revenue 
from  the  capture  and  sale  of  these  pigeons  for  the  markets.  In  the  state  of  Mich- 
igan, near  one  of  the  east  shore  ports,  the  railroad  actually  built  a  spur  into  a 
region  which  was  a  favorite  resort  of  these  birds,  and  brought  them  to  the  markets 
in  Chicago  in  carload  quantities. 

It  is  a  strange  fact  in  natural  history  that,  within  a  few  years  after  1880,  the 
Passenger  pigeon  should  have  utterly  disappeared,  for  at  the  present  time  there 
is  not  known  to  be  a  single  specimen  out  of  captivity.  They  began  to  disappear  in 
about  1879,  immediately  after  the  last  known  great  nesting  season.  To  their  nest- 
ing grounds  came  hunters  who  took  hundreds  of  thousands  of  these  birds  for  ship- 
ment to  the  markets  of  Chicago  and  the  East,  and  from  that  time  wild  pigeons  were 
no  longer  found  together  in  great  numbers.  The  chances  for  perpetuation  of  the 
species  were  slight,  after  this  decimation  of  their  numbers,  as  they  laid  but  one 
egg,  or  occasionally  two,  and  their  nests  when  discovered  were  robbed  of  the  young 
by  greedy  hunters. 

In  late  years  the  natural  history  societies  of  the  country  have  attempted  to  dis- 
cover if  possible  any  remaining  individuals  of  this  interesting  game  bird.  At  a 
meeting  in  December,  1909,  of  the  American  Ornithologists'  Union  a  movement  was 
started  for  this  purpose,  and  a  reward  was  offered  for  information  that  would  lead 
to  the  finding  of  any  nests  of  the  Passenger  pigeon.  This  offer  was  in  these  terms: 
"For  the  first  nest  or  nesting  colony  discovered  and  confirmed  anywhere  on  the 
continent  of  North  America,  three  hundred  dollars."  This  was  supplemented  by 
other  rewards  for  the  different  states  represented  by  the  members  of  the  Union. 
The  president  of  the  Audubon  Society,  Mr.  Ruthven  Deane,  of  Chicago,  has  taken 
a  great  interest  in  this  movement,  and  there  is  a  faint  hope  that  some  remaining 
members  of  the  species  may  yet  be  found  in  some  of  the  remote  sections  of  the 
country. 

BIRDS    OF    PASSAGE 

It  is  curious  to  note  the  remarkable  influence  that  the  proximity  of  Lake  Mich- 
igan has  upon  the  routes  chosen  by  the  land  birds  in  their  migratory  flights,  espe- 
cially in  the  spring  of  the  year.  It  would  naturally  seem  that  a  region  so  densely 
populated  as  this  would  be  avoided  by  the  streams  of  birds  passing  to  the  north, 
or  that  even  in  passing  over  they  would  keep  to  a  high  line  of  flight.  But,  on  the 
contrary,  it  happens  that  Chicago,  with  its  extensive  parks,  and  the  outlying  districts 
are  favorite  places  for  birds  to  pause  in  their  spring  migrations,  and  they  are  seen 
here  on  such  occasions  in  vast  numbers.  The  parks  and  nearby  country  districts 
are  thronged  with  every  variety  of  bird  life.  Thus,  says  Mr.  Frank  M.  Woodruff, 
the  ornithologist  of  the  Chicago  Academy  of  Sciences,  "it  would  be  a  difficult  matter 
to  find  a  more  interesting  and  fertile  field  for  the  study  of  birds  than  our  area. 
We  have  the  great  wooded  region  north  of  us,  Lake  Michigan  on  the  east,  the 
desolate  sandy  southern  portion,  somewhat  resembling  the  western  plains  and  upon 


BALD  TOM 

This  eminence  is  situated  on  the  Michigan  shore,  fifty-one  miles  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Chicago  river,  slightly  north  of  a  line  running  directly  east  from  the  latter  point.  Its 
summit  is  240.1  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  lake.  Its  position  is  about  one-half  mile 
from  the  shore.  The  summit  could  be  seen  by  an  observer  at  Chicago  from  a  height  of 
537  feet  under  ordinary  conditions  of  refraction.  It  is,  in  appearance,  an  immense  sand 
dune  partly  overgrown  with  trees  and  bushes.  Its  slope  is  marked  with  gullies  which 
from  a  distance  resemble  wagon-tracks,  and  an  irregular  foot-path  can  be  traced  from  the 
foot  to  the  summit.  The  view  here  shown  is  from  the  east,  or  landward,  side. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  153 

which  there  are  found  growing  quite  a  number  of  western  plants  and  the  prickly 
pear  cactus,  the  whole  area  forming  an  attraction  for  birds  which  favor  such  local- 
ities. What  greater  inducements  could  be  offered  birds  to  visit  our  area  during  their 
migrations,  for  south  and  west  of  us  there  are  rich  broad  fields  with  ridges  of  timber, 
and  several  large  rivers,  the  Illinois,  the  Ohio,  and  the  Mississippi,  which  tend  to 
lead  the  birds  to  us." 

In  his  work  "Birds  of  the  Chicago  Area,"  Mr.  Woodruff  writes  as  follows:  "A 
large  portion  of  our  area,  lying  in  a  great  basin  formed  by  the  old  lake  beaches  and 
the  wooded  hills  of  Lake  and  Du  Page  counties,  the  temperature  influenced  by  that 
of  Lake  Michigan,  forms  what  might  be  called  a  'wind  harbor,'  causing  at  times  a 
perfect  deluge  of  migrating  birds.  .  .  .  Much  more  time  is  spent  by  these 
birds  with  us,  apparently,  than  in  the  regions  lying  outside  of  our  area.  I  believe 
that  the  reason  for  this  is  the  temperate  basin,  which  I  have  spoken  of  as  a  wind 
harbor,  and  the  influences  of  Lake  Michigan." 

ASPECT   OF    LAKE    MICHIGAN 

The  surface  of  the  lake,  as  viewed  outward  from  the  shore  at  Chicago  and  its 
vicinity,  stretches  to  the  utmost  limits  of  vision  without  sight  of  land  on  its  oppo- 
site shore.  The  width  of  the  lake  looking  directly  eastward  at  this  point  is  nearly 
fifty-one  miles,  though  it  widens  farther  north,  and  at  Milwaukee,  ninety  miles 
distant,  the  lake  attains  a  width  of  eighty-six  miles.  When  Schoolcraft,  in  1821,  was 
approaching  the  lake  from  the  west,  while  on  his  way  from  the  Mississippi  over 
the  Des  Plaines-Chicago  portage,  he  wrote  that  "the  sight  of  Lake  Michigan,  on 
nearing  Chicago,  was  like  the  ocean."  24  Doubtless  his  sensations  were  similar  to 
those  of  the  ten  thousand  Greeks  when  after  their  long  and  perilous  march  through 
Asia  Minor  they  came  into  view  of  the  Euxine,  and  hailed  it  with  loud  shouts  of 
"The  sea !  The  sea !" 

VISIBILITY    OF    THE    MICHIGAN    SHORE 

The  limit  of  visibility  of  an  object  on  the  surface  of  the  lake  or  a  distant  coast 
line  depends,  of  course,  upon  its  prominence,  the  upper  portion  coming  into  view 
first.  The  coast  line  opposite  Chicago  could  be  seen  were  an  observer  elevated  to 
a  sufficient  height.  As  there  is  no  point  in  Chicago  where  such  a  view  could  be 
obtained,  the  opposite  coast  does  not  come  into  view  at  all.  This  will  be  better  un- 
derstood by  referring  to  the  tables  of  the  United  States  Coast  Survey  25  in  which 
it  is  shown  that  a  tangent  line  drawn  from  one  extremity  of  an  arc  fifty-one  miles 
long  on  the  earth's  circumference  would,  at  the  other  end  of  the  arc,  be  1,735  feet 
above  the  surface.  But  the  path  of  a  ray  of  light  through  the  air  is  affected  by 
refraction,  so  that  the  line  of  sight,  instead  of  following  the  tangent  line,  is  slightly 
curved  downwards.  The  refraction  therefore,  under  average  atmospheric  conditions, 
would  reduce  the  height  necessary  for  an  observer  at  one  extremity  of  the  arc  to 
see  the  other  extremity,  to  a  height  of  only  1,492  feet.  Of  course  the  height  of  the 
land  on  the  opposite  shore  would  have  to  be  taken  into  consideration  in  a  case  of 
this  kind.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  it  would  require  an  eminence  at  this  point  far 


24  Schoolcraft:   "Indian   Tribes,"   p.   68. 

25  Report  for  1882,  p.  154. 


154  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

exceeding  that  of  any  known  structure,  from  which  to  see  the  Michigan  shore  look- 
ing directly  eastward,,  if  that  shore  were  low  and  not  perceptibly  above  the  lake 
itself. 

"BALD  TOM" 

There  is  an  elevation,  however,  on  the  Michigan  shore,  on  a  line  directly  east 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  River,  known  as  "Bald  Tom/'  a  hill  whose  upper  por- 
tion rises  to  a  height  of  two  hundred  and  forty  feet.  This  hill  reaches  the  most  con- 
siderable height  in  that  vicinity  though  there  is  an  eminence  near  by  known  as 
Sleeping  Bear,  spoken  of  by  Hoffman  when  he  passed  that  way  on  horseback  late 
in  the  year  1832,  which  rises  to  nearly  the  same  height.  Bald  Tom  is  a  summit  of 
sand  quite  bare  of  trees  for  some  distance  down  its  slope,  the  lower  portion  being 
covered  by  a  growth  of  trees  and  bushes.  It  is  an  object  well  known  to  lake  sail- 
ors, standing,  as  it  does,  near  the  shore  about  half  way  between  St.  Joseph  and  Mich- 
igan City,  but  is  seldom  seen  from  excursion  or  passenger  boats,  not  being  on  the 
route  of  any  of  the  Chicago  lines  of  steamers.  Its  summit  was  used  as  one  of  the 
stations  of  the  government  "Triangulation  Survey,"  made  in  the  years  1874  and 
1877. 

This  eminence  is  situated  on  the  Michigan  shore  fifty-one  miles  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Chicago  river,  slightly  north  of  a  line  running  directly  east  from  the  latter 
ppint.  Its  summit  is  240.1  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  lake.  Its  position  is  about 
half  a  mile  from  the  shore.  The  summit  could  be  seen  by  an  observer  at  Chi- 
cago from  a  height  of  537  feet  under  ordinary  conditions  of  refraction.  It  is,  in 
appearance,  an  immense  sand  dune  partly  overgrown  with  trees  and  bushes.  Its 
slope  is  marked  with  gullies  which  from  a  distance  resemble  wagontracks,  and  an 
irregular  foot-path  can  be  traced  from  the  foot  to  the  summit.  The  view  here  shown 
is  from  the  east,  or  landward,  side. 

"Bald  Tom"  does  not  rank  in  altitude  with  the  "mountain  tops"  of  the  traveler 
and  poet,  but,  in  the  almost  total  absence  of  any  marked  eminences  in  this  neighbor- 
hood, we  feel  bound  to  take  especial  notice  of  this  "peak,"  and  to  regard  it  with 
some  natural  pride.  But  while  it  cannot  claim  a  sufficient  eminence  to  cause  a 
change  of  climatic  conditions  at  its  summit  by  reason  of  a  long  reach  into  the  upper 
regions  of  the  atmosphere,  it  should  be  regarded  as  a  most  desirable  addition  to 
the  natural  attractions  of  the  vicinity,  especially  if  at  some  future  time  a  sufficiently 
tall  building  should  be  erected  in  Chicago  from  whose  summit  we  may  obtain  a  view 
of  its  bald  "pow." 

The  latitude  of  this  hill  is  41°  54'  19",  while  that  of  Chicago,  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  is  41°  53'  11".  Thus  while  the  two  points  are  not  precisely  on  the  same 
parallel,  the  hill  on  the  Michigan  shore  is  only  one  and  three-tenths  miles  north  of 
a  true  east  and  west  line  intersecting  the  Chicago  position.  The  distance  of  Bald 
Tom  from  the  pier-head,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river,  is  fifty-one  miles.  Al- 
lowing for  refraction  under  average  atmospheric  conditions  an  elevation  of  only  five 
hundred  and  thirty  seven  feet  at  Chicago  would  be  sufficient  for  an  observer  to  see 
its  summit,  provided  his  eyesight  were  sufficiently  keen  or  if  he  used  a  glass.  It  is, 
of  course,  presumed  that  in  such  a  case  the  atmosphere  would  be  clear.  While  there 
are  no  buildings  or  towers  in  Chicago  of  a  height  sufficient  to  make  such  an  observa- 
tion, which  would  indeed  have  to  be  only  a  little  less  than  the  height  of  the  Washing- 
ton monument,  it  is  by  no  means  unlikely  that  such  a  building  will,  in  the  course  of 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  155 

time,  be  erected.  Again.,  if  towers  of  equal  heights  on  either  shore  of  Lake  Mich- 
igan, one  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river,  and  another  on  the  Michigan  shore 
on  an  east  and  west  line  were  constructed,  so  that  observers  at  their  summits  might 
come  into  each  others'  view,  such  towers  would  need  to  be  only  three  hundred  and 
seventy-three  feet  in  height  above  the  surface  of  the  lake.  In  that  case,  and  from 
equal  heights  as  mentioned,  the  line  of  vision  from  the  top  of  either  tower  would 
barely  reach  the  top  of  the  other,  the  "point  of  tangency"  being  precisely  midway 
between  its  termination  at  the  opposite  towers,  that  is  just  twenty-five  and  one-half 
miles  from  either  shore. 


TRIANGULATION    SURVEYS    OVER    LAKE    MICHIGAN 

A  practical  example  of  the  limit  of  visibility  over  level  surfaces  is  found  in  the 
triangulation  survey  conducted  by  United  States  engineers,  during  the  years  from 
1874  to  1877.  The  report  of  this  survey  was  printed  by  the  government  in  "Pro- 
fessional Papers,"  number  24,  Corps  of  Engineers. 

Two  stations  were  established,  one  on  the  summit  of  the  shot  tower  which  then 
stood  at  the  corner  of  Fulton  and  Clinton  streets,  in  Chicago,  and  the  other  on  the 
summit  of  a  sand  dune  near  Michigan  City,  Indiana,  forty-one  and  one-tenth  miles 
distant  from  each  other.  The  line  between  these  two  points  would  follow  nearly  a 
southeasterly  direction  from  Chicago.  The  summit  of  the  shot  tower  was  a  little 
over  two  hundred  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  lake,  while  the  observing  point  near 
Michigan  City  was  two  hundred  and  eighteen  feet  above  the  lake  surface.  The  sand 
dune  was  one  hundred  and  forty-eight  feet  in  height,  on  which  an  observing  tower 
seventy  feet  in  height  had  been  erected,  thus  reaching  an  elevation  which  was 
made  sufficient  for  the  purposes  of  the  surveyors  in  the  following  ingenious  manner. 

Und.er  average  conditions  of  refraction  the  line  of  sight  from  the  summit  of 
the  shot  tower  was  tangent  to  the  lake  surface  about  nineteen  miles  distant,  while 
that  from  the  Michigan  City  point  was  tangent  about  twenty  miles  distant.  The 
sum  of  these  two  distances  is  thirty-nine  miles,  two  miles  less  than  the  whole  dis- 
tance between  the  observing  points.  But  computations  showed  that  when  refraction 
was  seventy  per  cent  greater  than  its  average  value,  which  happens  occasionally  for 
short  intervals,  the  points  were  intervisible.  By  taking  advantage  of  this  condition, 
in  part,  and  also  by  mounting  bright  signals  on  poles  considerably  above  the  tele- 
scopes of  the  observers,  they  were  able  to  establish  satisfactory  communications.  At 
the  time  these  observations  were  taken  the  shot  tower  was  the  greatest  elevation 
to  be  found  in  the  city  available  for  the  purposes  of  the  surveyors.  Since  that 
time,  as  is  well  known,  there  have  been  a  number  of  structures  erected  which  attain 
a  much  greater  height. 

Inquirers  who  desire  a  more  extended  knowledge  of  the  range  of  visibility  over 
the  surfaces  of  lakes  and  plains,  should  consult  any  standard  text  book  of  geodosy, 
where  the  properties  of  the  tangent  line  and  its  relation  to  the  curvature  of  the 
earth's  surface  are  fully  set  forth. 

The  writer  is  indebted  to  Professor  John  F.  Hayford,  Director  of  the  College 
of  Engineering  of  the  Northwestern  University,  for  guidance  and  advice  in  the 
statements  above  made  in  regard  to  lines  of  visibility. 


156  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

MIRAGES    AND     LOOMINGS 

A  mirage  occasionally  lifts  the  Michigan  shore  into  view  so  that  apparently  it 
may  be  discerned  by  the  beholder,  and  photographs  have  been  taken  of  this  phantom 
view.  In  May,  1901,  for  instance,  such  a  mirage  was  plainly  to  be  seen  for  two 
hours  or  more  during  one  afternoon,  as  reported  in  the  "Chicago  Tribune"  of  May 
4th  in  that  year,  and  the  article  describing  it  was  accompanied  by  a  reproduction 
of  the  view  as  shown  in  the  camera.  While  the  name  of  mirage  is  popularly  given  to 
this  interesting  phenomenon,  it  is  more  correct  to  speak  of  it  as  "looming."  A  true 
mirage  inverts  the  images  of  objects  which  it  brings  into  view.  Examples  of  mirages 
are  frequently  seen  on  the  lake  when  vessels  beyond  the  range  of  vision  appear  in 
an  inverted  position  above  the  horizon  line. 

DRAINING    LAKE    MICHIGAN 

If  the  bottom  of  Lake  Michigan  opposite  Chicago  were  exposed  to  view  as  a 
plain,  without  a  body  of  water  above  it,  its  appearance  would  be  that  of  a  sandy 
desert,  that  is,  supposing  it  to  have  but  recently  become  dry.  There  would  be  no  ' 
perceptible  depression  in  the  prospect,  as  the  slope  downward  to  its  deepest  part  is 
so  gradual  that  it  would  not  be  distinguishable  to  the  eye;  indeed  the  curvature  of 
the  earth's  surface  would  shut  off  the  view  of  objects  distant  a  few  miles  just  as  it 
does  on  the  prairies.  If  the  bottom  of  the  lake,  thus  supposed  to  be  dry,  should 
remain  in  that  condition  for  long,  that  is  for  some  generations,  it  would,  of  course, 
gradually  become  covered  with  herbage  and  forests.  It  would  simply  be  a  tract 
of  so-called  level  country.  In  fact  there  are  many  places  in  the  state  of  Illinois 
that  are  lower  than  the  surface  of  Lake  Michigan.  This  fact  was  known  to  the 
people  in  the  early  days,  and  one  of  the  objections  named  by  certain  elements  of  the 
opposition  to  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  was  that  it  would  open  a  way  for  i 
the  waters  of  Lake  Michigan  to  flood  extensive  tracts  of  country  in  some  of  the 
low  lying  lands  of  the  state.26 

On  the  other  hand  there  was  at  one  time  under  serious  consideration,  a.  plan  for 
draining  Lake  Michigan.  This  was  during  Governor  Coles'  administration,  1823 
to  1827.  A  bill  had  been  introduced  in  the  legislature  to  drain  certain  lakes  as  "not 
only  much  good  land  would  be  reclaimed,  but  the  health  of  the  country  materially 
benefited."  Several  amendments  adding  other  lakes  to  the  bill  were  proposed  and 
adopted.  Finally  "one  member,"  said  W.  H.  Brown  in  a  lecture  before  the  Chi- 
cago Lyceum,  "moved  an  additional  section,  proposing  to  drain  Lake  Michigan,  which 
was  also  adopted  by  a  large  majority,"  with  an  appropriation  to  carry  the  pro- 
visions of  the  bill  into  effect.  "Fortunately  for  the  country  lying  south-west  of  the 
lake,"  says  the  editor  of  the  state  paper  of  that  day,  "its  inundation  was  prevented 
by  a  motion  to  read  the  bill  in  committee  of  the  whole,  which  prevailed,"  where  it  1 
seems  to  have  received  its  quietus.27 

PICTURESQUE   VALUE    OF   LAKE    MICHIGAN 

As  one  stands  on  the  shore  of  the  lake  gazing  on  the  broad  expanse  stretching 
far  to  the  north,  east  and  south,  a  noble  view  is  presented.  One  realizes  the  great 
extent  over  which  his  eye  wanders  by  noting  the  lake  craft  in  the  distance,  some 
vessels  "hull  down,"  and  trailing  clouds  of  smoke  lying  on  the  horizon,  indicating 

26  R.   W.   Patterson,   Fergus,   No.  14,   p.   124. 
17  Fergus'  Hist.   Series,   No.   14,  p.   95. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  157 

passing  steamers  beyond  the  limit  of  vision.  Those  passing  in  plainer  view  seem  to 
stand  fixed  and  immovable,  while  in  strange  contrast  the  waves  near  the  shore 
dash  violently  on  the  breakwaters,  throwing  up  clouds  of  spray,  or  break  in  thunder- 
ous surges  on  the  sand  and  gravel  at  one's  feet.  There  is  this  difference  to  be  ob- 
served between  the  breakers  rolling  in  from  a  body  of  fresh  water  and  those  from 
the  ocean,  that  there  is  not  nearly  so  much  froth  lying  on  the  surface  where  the 
crests  of  the  waves  break  on  the  fresh  as  on  the  salt  water,  the  bubbles  and  foam 
quickly  disapearing  on  the  former  while  lingering  long  on  the  briny  surges  of  the 
sea. 

From  the  crest  of  the  bluffs  of  the  North  Shore  the  view  of  the  lake  is,  on 
ordinary  occasions,  one  of  the  most  charming  imaginable ;  and  this  view  is  the  prin- 
cipal attraction  to  the  dwellers  in  the  beautiful  homes  that  have  been  built  in  that 
neighborhood.  When  tossed  by  the  wind  the  ruffled  surface  of  the  lake  shows  many 
shades  of  blue  and  green  according  to  the  light  reflected  upon  it  from  the  sky;  and 
when  light,  fleecy  clouds  are  passing  over  it,  casting  broad  shadows  upon  its  far  ex- 
tending surface,  the  colors  are  shown  in  varied  hues  ranging  from  neutral  tints  to 
most  beautiful  olive  greens  and  violet  blues.  One  of  our  local  poets  happily  likened 
its  broad  expanse  under  these  conditions  to  "a  pictured  psalm." 

"A  level  plain  of  a  vast  extent  on  land  is  certainly  no  mean  idea,"  writes  Burke ; 
"the  prospect  of  such  a  plain  may  be  as  extensive  as  a  prospect  of  the  ocean:  but 
can  it  ever  fill  the  mind  with  anything  so  great  as  the  ocean  itself?"  This  can  be 
well  appreciated  by  those  who  have  long  dwelt  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan. 

But  when  "storms  and  tempests  wake  the  sleeping  main," 
"And   lightnings    flash   while   winds   grow   hoarse   and   loud, 
And  writhing  billows  toss  their  white  crests  high ;" 2S 

then  indeed  Lake  Michigan's  aspect  changes  from  the  beautiful  to  the  sublime.  It 
is  then,  when  darkness  adds  its  terrors  to  the  scene,  that  the  perils  of  the  mariner 
come  home  to  the  observer  with  moving  force  and  quickened  sympathy. 

THE    PRAIRIES    OF    ILLINOIS 

The  cultivation  of  prairie  lands  had  not  yet  been  begun  to  any  considerable  ex- 
tent, in  1818.  But  about  that  time  a  shrewd  observer,  traveling  through  the  west- 
ern country,  suggested  what  eventually  was  to  be  the  solution  of  the  question  of 
prairie  agriculture.  This  traveler  was  Benjamin  Harding,  who  afterward  pub- 
lished a  book  entitled,  "A  Tour  through  the  Western  Country  in  1818-19,"  in 
which  he  said:  "It  will  probably  be  some  time  before  these  vast  prairies  can  be 
settled,  owing  to  the  inconvenience  attending  the  want  of  timber.  I  know  of  no 
way,  unless  the  plan  is  adopted  of  ditching  and  hedging,  and  the  building  of 
brick  houses,  and  substituting  the  stone  coal  for  fuel.  It  seems  as  if  the  bountiful 
hand  of  nature,  where  it  has  withheld  one  gift  has  always  furnished  another; 
for  instance,  where  there  is  a  scarcity  of  wood,  there  are  coal  mines." 

ASPECT    OF    THE     PRAIRIES 

In  those  times  the  subject  of  emigrating  to  the  regions  of  the  boundless  West 
was  extensively  talked  and  written  about.  Many  books  were  published  giving  ad- 

28  Pearson:  "Three  Fold  Cord,"  p.  158. 


158  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

vice  to  prospective  emigrants,  describing  the  country — its  availability  for  settle- 
ment, the  climate,  soil,  means  of  transportation;  and  giving  a  thousand  details 
of  interest  about  the  natural  features  of  this  "land  of  promise."  Every  traveler 
passing  through  the  Illinois  country  was  especially  impressed  with  the  vast  level 
and  treeless  plains  which  the  French  had  called  by  the  name  of  prairies,  a  name 
signifying  a  meadow,  happily  called  by  Cooper  "a  natural  meadow."  Bryant's 
fine  poem,  "The  Prairies,"  has  a  description  of  them,  a  few  lines  from  which  we 
quote : 

"These  are  the  gardens  of  the  Desert,  these 
The  unshorn  fields,  boundless  and  beautiful, 
For  which  the  speech  of  England  has  no  name — 
The  Prairies." 

The  prairies  are  never  called  the  plains  by  the  western  people,  as  are  the  tree- 
less regions  in  the  far  West. 

EARLY   OPINIONS   OF    THE    PRAIRIES 

But  prairies  were  not  regarded  as  desirable  for  agricultural  purposes  by  the 
early  settlers.  They  were  considered  as  an  obstacle  to  settlement,  and  as  far  back 
as  1786,  Monroe  wrote  to  Jefferson  concerning  the  Northwest  Territory,  as  fol- 
lows: "A  great  part  of  the  territory  is  miserably  poor,  especially  that  near  Lakes 
Michigan  and  Erie,  and  that  upon  the  Mississippi  and  the  Illinois  consists  of  ex- 
tensive plains  which  have  not  had,  from  appearances,  and  will  not  have,  a  single 
bush  on  them  for  ages.  The  districts,  therefore,  within  which  these  fall  will 
never  contain  a  sufficient  number  of  inhabitants  to  entitle  them  to  membership  in 
the  confederacy." 

In  later  times,  however,  the  true  value  of  the  prairies  for  cultivation  came  to 
be  appreciated  at  their  proper  worth,  and  they  were  enthusiastically  described  as 
gardens.  Thus  Chicago,  at  its  incorporation  as  a  city,  in  1837,  adopted  the  motto 
which  was  engraved  on  its  seal,  "Urbs  in  Horto,"  that  is,  a  City  in  a  Garden, 
from  which  the  name  of  "Garden  City"  and  "Garden  City  of  the  Prairies,"  was 
readily  evolved.  In  an  old  letter  from  Chicago,  in  1837,  to  friends  in  the  East 
an  idea  is  given  of  how  the  fertile  soil  of  the  prairies  had  come  to  be  regarded. 
"Tell  John,"  said  the  writer,  "to  come  out  here  at  once.  This  is  God's  country. 
Leave  the  rocks  and  come  here  where  you  can  plow  a  straight  furrow  a  mile  long 
without  striking  a  stump  or  a  stone." 

CHICAGO'S  PRAIRIE  LOCATION 

A  large  part  of  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Chicago  is  on  prairie  land.  For 
a  distance  of  four  miles  south  from  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river  the  "Grand 
Prairie  of  Illinois"  reached  the  shore  of  the  lake,  narrowing  to  this  space  from 
the  vast  stretches  towards  the  southwest.  All  of  the  present  "loop  district,"  and 
much  more  territorv  now  within  the  city  limits  towards  the  southwest  and  west, 
was  formerly  true  prairie. 

When  Charles  Cleaver  arrived  in  Chicago  in  1833,  he  spoke  of  its  situation  as 
follows:  "To  the  south  of  the  village  was  an  almost  interminable  prairie  said  to 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  159 

be  three  hundred  miles  in  length     .      .      .     reaching,  as  we  were  told,  to  the  most 
southern   point  of  the   state." 

CLEAVER'S  OBSERVATIONS 

The  time  of  Cleaver's  arrival  was  in  October.  The  winter  season  had  set  in 
early,  and  the  ground  was  already  frozen.  He  came  with  a  party  from  the  East 
by  land  in  a  wagon  drawn  by  oxen.  Following  the  lake  shore  from  Michigan 
City,  he  emerged  from  the  woods  about  where  Thirty-First  street  is  now  located. 
"We  found  ourselves,"  he  wrote,  "for  the  first  time,  on  a  wide  expanse  of  level 
prairie,  bounded  on  the  west  by  a  belt  of  timber  which  lined  the  banks  of  the 
South  Branch  of  the  river,  a  mile  or  two  distant.  Three  or  four  miles  to  the 
north  of  the  point  where  we  stood  lay  the  village  of  Chicago,  stretching  from 
the  lake  some  half  mile  or  more  to  the  west  along  the  bank  of  the  river,  the 
white  houses  and  stores,  together  with  the  buildings  and  the  fence  of  the  garri- 
son grounds,  giving  it  quite  a  pleasant  and  cheerful  appearance  under  the  genial 
rays  of  the  wintry  sun.  .  .  .  There  was  but  one  building  between  us  and  the 
village,  and  that  was  a  log  barn  standing  at  about  Twentieth  Street.  To  the 
East  of  us  was  the  beautiful  lake,  on  the  bosom  of  which  we  could,  now  and 
then,  between  the  hills  of  sand  that  lined  its  bank,  catch  sight  of  two  schooners 
that  lay  at  anchor  half  or  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  land,  lazily  rising  and 
falling  with  the  swell  of  the  waves  as  they  rolled  into  shore." 

TOPOGRAPHY    OF    PRAIRIES 

But  prairies  do  not  all  of  them  have  the  "topography  of  a  pancake,"  as  de- 
scribed by  some  humorist,  but  are  frequently  undulating,  and  thus  known  as  "roll- 
ing prairies ;"  and  among  the  depressions  are  often  found  groves  of  trees,  especially 
along  the  banks  of  the  numerous  streams  that  intersect  them.  The  prairies  are 
the  most  remarkable  feature  of  Illinois,  just  as  the  lakes  are  of  Wisconsin,  the 
steppes  of  Russia,  and  the  Alps  of  Switzerland. 

The  general  elevation  of  the  prairies  above  the  surface  of  Lake  Michigan, 
which  itself  is  582  feet  above  the  sea,  varies  from  150  feet  below  its  surface  to 
300  feet  above.  At  numerous  points  throughout  the  state  the  surfaces  of  the 
prairies  are  below  the  lake,  as  may  be  seen  by  consulting  the  table  printed  in 
Leverett's  "Illinois  Glacial  Lobe"  (page  9)  published  by  the  United  States  Geo- 
logical Survey,  in  1899.  The  variations  in  altitudes,  however,  are  very  gradual. 
In  fifty-five  counties,  or  more  than  half  the  number  in  the  state,  there  is  a  range 
of  altitudes  of  less  than  300  feet.  Estimates  have  been  made  of  the  areas  between 
each  one  hundred  foot  contour  in  every  county  of  the  entire  state,  and  the  result 
shows  that  the  average  altitude  of  the  state  is  633  feet  above  the  sea,  that  is, 
only  51  feet  above  the  surface  of  Lake  Michigan.  Thus  "the  state  of  Illinois  has 
the  distinction,"  says  Leverett,  "of  being  the  lowest  in  the  North-Central  States." 

In  a  general  way  the  altitudes  in  Illinois  decrease  from  north  to  south.  The 
highest  point  in  the  state  is  at  Charles'  Mound,  a  long  narrow  ridge  on  the  line 
between  Wisconsin  and  Illinois  in  Jo  Daviess  County,  which  reaches  an  elevation 
of  1,257  feet  above  tide-water,  that  is,  675  feet  above  the  surface  of  Lake  Michigan. 


160  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

THE   PRAIRIES A    WORD    PICTURE 

In  a  remarkable  book  by  Francis  Grierson,  published  in  1909,  entitled,  "The 
Valley  of  Shadows,"  purporting  to  be  the  writer's  recollections  of  the  "Lincoln 
Country,"  in  the  years  from  1858  to  1863,  a  description  of  the  prairies  is  given 
which  is  worthy  of  a  place  in  this  connection. 

"I  have  done  my  best,"  he  writes,  "to  depict  the  'silences'  that  belonged  to 
the  prairies,  for  out  of  those  silences  came  the  voices  of  preacher  and  prophet, 
and  a  host  of  workers  and  heroes  in  the  great  War  of  Secession."  The  writer 
continues  his  wonderful  picture  of  the  prairies,  which  formed  so  true  and  beautiful 
a  setting  to  the  momentous  events  of  the  succeeding  years,  as  follows: 

"People  were  attracted  to  this  region  from  Kentucky,  Missouri,  Indiana,  the 
shores  of  the  Ohio,  the  British  Isles,  France,  and  Germany.  Other  states  had 
their  special  attractions:  Indiana,  Kentucky,  and  Missouri  contained  hills  and 
forests,  appealing  to  the  eye  by  a  large  and  generous  variation  of  landscape;  Iowa 
and  Kansas  sloped  upward  toward  the  West,  giving  to  the  mind  an  ever-increas- 
ing sense  of  hope  and  power.  To  many  Illinois  seemed  the  last  and  the  least, 
because  the  most  level.  Only  a  poet  could  feel  the  charm  of  her  prairies,  only  a 
far-seeing  statesman  could  predict  her  future  greatness. 

"The  prairie  was  a  region  of  expectant  watchfulness,  and  life  a  perpetual  con- 
trast of  work  and  idleness,  hope  and  misgiving.  Across  its  bosom  came  the  covered 
wagons  with  their  human  freight,  arriving  or  departing  like  ships  between  the  shores 
of  strange,  mysterious  worlds. 

"The  early  Jesuit  missionaries  often  spoke  of  the  Illinois  prairie  as  a  sea  of 
grass  and  flowers.  A  breeze  springs  up  from  the  shores  of  old  Kentucky,  or  from 
across  the  Mississippi  and  the  plains  of  Kansas,  gathering  force  as  the  hours  steal 
on,  gradually  changing  the  aspect  of  Nature  by  an  undulating  motion  of  the  grass, 
until  the  breeze  has  become  a  gale,  and  behold  the  prairie  a  rolling  sea !  The 
pennant-like  blades  dip  before  the  storm  in  low,  rushing  billows  as  of  myriads 
of  green  birds  skimming  the  surface.  The  grassy  blades  bend  to  the  rhythm 
of  Nature's  music,  and  when  clouds  begin  to  fleck  the  far  horizon  with  dim,  shift- 
ing vapors,  shadows  as  of  long  gray  wings  swoop  down  over  the  prairie,  while 
here  and  there  immense  fleeting  veils  rise  and  fall  and  sweep  on  towards  the  sky- 
line in  a  vague  world  of  mystery  and  illusion. 

"The  prairies  possessed  a  charm  created  by  beauty  instead  of  awe,  for  besides 
the  countless  wild  flowers  they  had  rivers,  creeks,  lakes,  groves,  and  wooded  strips 
of  country  bordering  the  larger  streams. 

"Everywhere,  even  in  the  most  desolate  places,  at  all  times  and  seasons,  signs  of 
life  were  manifest  in  the  traces,  flights,  and  sounds  of  animals  and  birds.  Over 
the  snow,  when  all  seemed  obliterated,  appeared  the  track  of  the  mink,  fox,  and 
chick-a-dee,  while  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year  the  grass,  woods,  and  air 
were  alive  with  winged  creatures  that  came  and  went  in  a  perpetual  chorus  of  audible 
or  inaudible  song. 

"The  prairie  was  an  inspiration,  the  humble  settlers  an  ever-increasing  revela- 
tion of  human  patience  and  progress.  There  was  a  charm  in  their  mode  of  living, 
and  real  romance  in  all  the  incidents  and  events  of  that  wonderful  time." 


By  courtw 


c-ago  &  Northwestern  Railway 

THE   ROLLING   PRAIRIES  OF  ILLINOIS 


•-    --• 


courtesy  of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway 


THE  DESPLAINES  RIVER 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  161 

CLIMATE    OF    CHICAGO 

The  influence  of  the  lake  upon  the  climate  of  Chicago  is  of  greater  importance 
than  any  other  local  feature  of  its  situation.  "In  studying  the  climate  of  Chi- 
cago," says  Hazen,  "the  greatest  interest  at  once  centers  upon  the  lake  and  the 
influence  of  its  waters  upon  the  temperature,  rainfall,  winds,  clouds,  etc.  While 
it  is  true  that  the  broader  features  of  the  climate  are  dependent  upon  atmospheric 
causes  and  influences  taking  their  rise  to  the  westward  and  northwestward  of  the  city, 
yet  these  are  often  markedly  changed  by  the  lake  and  the  conditions  induced  by 
its  temperature  and  moisture." 

The  temperature  of  the  lake,  and  its  effect  upon  the  atmosphere  of  the  country 
surrounding  it,  is  the  chief  consideration  in  a  study  of  this  kind.  In  Hazen's 
"Climate  of  Chicago,"  published  by  the  government  weather  bureau,  in  1893,  he 
gives  a  table  covering  seventeen  years'  observations,  from  1874  to  1890,  inclusive, 
a  period  which  though  now  somewhat  remote,  answers  this  purpose  as  well  as  any 
other.  The  mean  temperature  of  the  air  and  water  is  shown  to  be  equal  in  March 
and  September,  while  in  January  the  water  is  eight  and  nine-tenths  degrees  higher 
than  the  air,  and  in  June  nine  and  one-tenth  degrees  lower  than  the  air. 

"In  the  colder  months,"  says  Hazen,  "we  see  a  most  marked  influence  from 
the  lake,  an  east  wind  giving  a  temperature  almost  thirteen  degrees  higher  than 
a  northwest  wind.  In  the  medium  temperature  months  there  is  little  or  no  influ- 
ence, as  was  to  be  expected,  since  this  is  the  transition  period  when  the  air  and 
water  temperatures  are  nearly  the  same.  At  first  it  appears  a  little  singular  that 
the  lake  wind  does  not  show  a  greater  cooling  of  the  air  during  the  warm  months. 
We  must  remember  [however]  that  in  summer  the  wind  velocity  is  largely 
diminished,  that  is,  about  thirty  per  cent  less  than  in  winter;  but  the  more  potent 
influence  would  seem  to  be  the  effect  of  the  earth's  heat  upon  the  wind  before  it 
reaches  the  thermometer." 

PREVAILING   WINDS 

Chicago  is  frequently  termed  the  "Windy  City,"  and  a  consideration  of  this 
phase  of  its  climatic  condition  shows  that  the  cause  of  the  frequency  of  winds  is 
closely  connected  with  its  situation  on  the  lake.  There  is  a  general  tendency  here, 
says  Professor  Hazen,  for  greater  velocity  of  winds,  especially  those  blowing  in 
northeast  and  southwest  directions.  And  this  may  be  expected,  for  the  reason  that 
the  greater  lake  surface  extends  in  a  northeast  direction,  and  there  is  less  friction 
while  the  wind  is  passing  over  its  surface  from  or  toward  that  quarter. 

Then  again,  a  potent  influence  is,  that  during  the  day  the  land  surface  becomes 
heated  considerably  above  that  of  the  water,  and  there  arises  in  the  afternoon  a 
tendency  for  the  air  to  flow  from  the  water  to  the  land;  while  at  night  the  land 
becoming  greatly  cooled  by  radiation  of  its  heat  causes  the  air  to  flow  in  the  con- 
trary direction.  As  the  air  is  exceedingly  sensitive  to  the  temperature  of  the  sur- 
faces beneath  it,  which  excites  a  motion  in  the  direction  of  least  resistance,  the 
difference  of  temperature  in  the  lake  and  land  surfaces,  which  prevails  during  most 
of  the  time,  easily  accounts  for  the  winds  that  are  characteristic  of  the  climate  of 
Chicago. 

But  winds,  though  frequently  high,  very  seldom  reach  the  violence  of  tornadoes. 
Only  one  such  is  on  record,  which  is  described  in  Professor  Hazen's  journal  under 


162 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 


date  of  May  6,  1876,  as  follows:  "At  9:10  p.  m.  the  city  was  visited  by  a  violent 
tornado  which,  though  lasting  but  from  two  to  three  minutes,  did  damage  in  and 
about  the  city  estimated  at  $250,000.  The  course  of  the  tornado  was  from  south- 
west to  northeast,  having  a  swift  rotary  motion  from  right  to  left,  bounding  along 
like  a  ball  in  its  full  force,  apparently  reaching  the  ground  but  two  or  three  times. 
The  last  seen  of  it  was  on  the  lake  in  the  vicinity  of  the  crib,  at  which  place  it 
demolished  the  fog  bell  and  tower.  It  was  also  reported  that  numerous  water- 
spouts were  seen  in  that  vicinity  at  the  time.  During  its  passage  the  rain  fell 
in  torrents,  and  it  was  accompanied  by  thunder  and  sharp  flashes  of  lightning." 

The  nearest  approach  to  a  storm  of  this  character  in  recent  years  was  in  May, 
1896,  when  one  passed  over  the  northern  portion  of  Cook  County.  "As  it  approached 
the  lake,"  says  Professor  Henry  J.  Cox,  "it  rapidly  diminished  in  force  and  dis- 
appeared, and  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  cool  air  of  Lake  Michigan  destroyed  its 
energy." 

WIND    VELOCITIES 

In  order  to  compare  the  velocities  and  general  character  of  winds  and  storms 
at  Chicago  with  a  number  of  other  cities,  an  illustration  by  means  of  a  table  is 
given  herewith,  which  supplies  in  a  condensed  form  some  interesting  statistics  on 
the  subject.  This  table  was  prepared  at  the  office  of  the  United  States  Weather 
Bureau  at  Chicago,  and  covers  the  years  1905  to  1908,  inclusive,  a  period  of  four 
years. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  while  there  is  a  greater  volume  of  wind  movement  at 
Chicago  than  in  the  other  places  mentioned  in  the  table,  other  considerations  af- 
fect the  general  result.  Compared  with  Buffalo,  for  instance,  the  total  wind  move- 
ment there  very  nearly  equals  that  of  Chicago ;  and  the  frequency  of  high  winds 
at  Buffalo  considerably  exceeds  that  at  Chicago;  while  the  number  of  gales  above 
forty  miles  an  hour  at  Buffalo  greatly  exceeds  the  number  at  Chicago,  thus  indicat- 
ing a  steadier  stream  of  air  at  Chicago  than  at  Buffalo.  Further,  comparing  Chi- 
cago with  St.  Paul,  while  the  volume  of  wind  movement  at  the  latter  place  is 
considerably  less,  there  are  only  about  twelve  per  cent  fewer  violent  gales  there. 
Denver,  as  we  see,  has  the  most  favorable  record  in  the  matter  of  wind  movement, 
high  winds  and  gales. 

TABLE  OF  WIND  MOVEMENTS 


CHICAGO 

BUFFALO 

ST.  PAUL 

DENVER 

Year 

A 

B 

C 

A 

B 

C 

A 

B 

C 

A 

B 

C 

1905 

134.854 

5« 

38 

125.934 

73 

50 

88.298 

59 

9 

63.171 

49 

9 

1906 

127.128 

59 

32 

120.797 

76 

44 

91.526 

5° 

12 

65.243 

52 

12 

1907 

126.071 

60 

25 

129.577 

84 

63 

91.121 

47 

15 

64-953 

43 

6 

1908 

132.751 

68 

33 

131.759 

76 

69 

96.377 

54 

12 

64.961 

52 

5 

Totals 

520.804 

245 

128 

508.067 

309 

226 

367.322 

210 

48 

258.328 

196 

32 

Average 

130.201 

61  + 

32 

127.016 

77+ 

65  + 

91.830  + 

52+ 

12 

64.582 

49 

8 

Key:  A.  Total  movement  for  year;  that  is,  the  number  of  miles  of  wind  passing  a  given 
point;  B.  Greatest  velocity  per  hour  reached  during  the  year;  C.  Number  of  days  in  each  year 
when  wind  exceeded  forty  miles  an  hour. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  163 

"While  Chicago  is  called  the  windy  city,"  says  Professor  Henry  J.  Cox,  "it 
has  no  special  claim  upon  this  pseudonym.  The  wind  velocity  increases  with  the 
elevation  above  ground,  and  the  weather  bureau  instruments  in  Chicago  happen  to 
be  located  at  a  much  greater  height  than  is  available  in  most  cities.  It  is,  in 
fact,  not  in  the  course  of  any  regular  storm  track,  generally  merely  being  on  the 
edges  of  the  storms  that  pass  to  the  north  over  Lake  Superior  or  to  the  south  over 
the  Ohio  valley.  It  lays  claim,  however,  to  brisk  and  sometimes  strong  winds  which 
are  more  beneficial  than  objectionable.  The  prevailing  direction  of  the  wind  is 
southwest,  for  the  year  as  a  whole.  During  the  spring  and  early  summer  the  wind 
is  mostly  northeast." 

THUNDERSTORMS 

Thunder  storms  are  comparatively  infrequent,  and  arising,  as  they  usually  do, 
in  the  southwest,  upon  striking  the  lake  they  often  lose  their  force  or  are  dissipated 
altogether.  Professor  Hazen  kept  a  journal  covering  the  period  from  1870  to  1891, 
which  was  printed  by  the  government  in  1893.  In  this  journal,  under  date  of  May 
25,  1871,  he  writes: 

"Thunder  storms  traveling  about  all  day.  Cumulus  clouds,  whether  discharging 
rain  or  not,  which  approach  the  lake  from  the  land,  increase  or  at  least  maintain 
their  proportions,  until  they  reach  the  margin  of  the  lake.  There  they  dissipate, 
and  what  an  hour  before  was  a  dense  cloud  becomes  reduced  to  a  few  filaments. 
Day  after  day,  with  the  cumulus  clouds  traveling  from  the  southwest,  have  I  seen 
them  standing  about  like  giants  over  all  the  land  and  around  the  shores  of  the 
lake,  while  over  the  lake  the  sky  was  entirely  free."  29 

NUMBER   OF  THUNDERSTORMS 

Years 


c 
i  —  i 

V 

fa 

eg 

°C 
o. 

>, 

eg 

§ 

C 
3 
i  —  » 

"3 

>—  i 

fci 

3 

c. 
u 

C 

0 

O 

Z 

o    — 

<u     o 

Q  h 

eg 

V 

1892    

.  .  .  .  o 

O 

O 

4 

3 

16 

3 

3 

4 

I 

o 

I 

35 

1893   

.  .  .  .  o 

0 

0 

5 

2 

4 

6 

o 

i 

I 

o 

o 

19 

1894  

.  .  .  .    0 

0 

2 

4 

8 

7 

2 

4 

IO 

2 

o 

o 

39 

1895    

.  .  .  .   I 

o 

I 

o 

4 

4 

8 

6 

4 

o 

o 

o 

a& 

1896   

.  .  .  .  o 

o 

2 

4 

7 

7 

2 

7 

5 

i 

0 

0 

35 

1897  

.  .  .  .    I 

I 

3 

4 

5 

9 

3 

4 

i 

o 

0 

o 

S» 

1898  

.  .  .  .  I 

o 

3 

0 

4 

7 

S 

6 

8 

2 

0 

o 

;6 

1899  

.  .  .  .  o 

0 

o 

i 

IS 

9 

6 

4 

3 

O 

I 

o 

$9 

1900    

.  .  .  .  o 

I 

0 

i 

7 

7 

7 

12 

5 

2 

2 

o 

44 

1901     

.  .  .  .    0 

0 

I 

o 

S 

13 

9 

5 

3 

I 

I 

o 

3« 

1902    

.  .  .  .    0 

o 

I 

I 

14 

10 

9 

4 

2 

3 

O 

o 

44 

1903   

.  .  .  .    0 

o 

2 

6 

6 

i 

9 

9 

6 

2 

I 

o 

4* 

1904   

.  .  .  .    0 

I 

5 

3 

4 

8 

ii 

7 

7 

5 

o 

o 

51 

1905   

.  .  .  .    0 

o 

4 

4 

8 

ii 

8 

5 

S 

2 

o 

o 

47 

1906    

.  .  .  .    2 

3 

o 

4 

4 

9 

6 

7 

6 

O 

o 

o 

41 

1907   

.  .  .  .    2 

o 

6 

4 

7 

IO 

10 

7 

6 

2 

o 

o 

54 

1908    

.  .  .  .    O 

I 

9 

3 

12 

10 

ii 

8 

3 

O 

2 

o 

59 

1909  

....3 

I 

o 

9 

S 

9 

4 

9 

2 

O 

3 

o 

45 

Total   by  months.  .  .  . 

.  .  .  .IO 

8 

39 

57 

120 

151 

119 

107 

81 

24 

10 

I 

Grand  total  

72- 

29  Hazen:     "Climate  of  Chicago,"  pp.   10-113. 


164  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

FREQUENCY   OF    THUNDERSTORMS 

A  table  of  thunderstorms,  prepared  by  the  United  States  Weather  Bureau 
office  at  Chicago,  covering  the  years  from  1892  to  1909,  inclusive — that  is,  for  eight- 
een years — shows  the  total  number  of  such  storms  occurring  in  that  period,  the 
number  occurring  annually,  and  the  number  for  each  month.  As  this  table  is  of 
unusual  interest  it  is  inserted  herewith. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  average  number  of  thunderstorms  for  the  years 
covered  by  this  table  is  about  forty  for  each  year.  More  thunderstorms  occur  in 
the  month  of  June,  on  the  average,  than  for  any  other  month  of  the  year,  the 
months  of  May  and  July  standing  next  in  the  order  of  frequency.  The  month  in  j 
which  a  thunderstorm  is  least  likely  to  occur  is  the  month  of  December,  in  which 
month  only  one  such  storm  occurred  during  the  eighteen  years  under  review. 

"Thunderstorms  are  more  frequent  in  Florida  and  the  Mississippi  and  lower 
Missouri  valleys,"  says  General  Greely,  in  his  book  "American  Weather."  Over 
the  lake  region  the  frequency  of  such  storms  is  considerably  less,  and  in  New  Eng- 
land it  is  still  less.  To  the  westward  of  the  Rocky  mountains  the  average  annual 
number  of  thunderstorms  is  less  than  ten  for  the  whole  region,  while  in  southern 
California  one  or  two  years  may  pass  without  a  single  storm  occurring.  Seneca 
said  that  "lightning,  which  brings  fear  to  everybody,  brings  peril  only  to  a  very 
few."  Notwithstanding  this  observation  of  the  ancient  philosopher,  who  said  many 
wise  things,  the  damage  and  loss  of  life  caused  by  thunderstorms  should  not  make 
us  forget  their  far  greater  services  to  mankind.  "Lightning  strikes  comparatively 
but  seldom  with  destructive  effect,"  says  Dr.  Hartwig  in  his  exhaustive  treatise 
on  thunderstorms,  included  in  the  volume  entitled,  "The  Aerial  World,"  "but  every 
thunderstorm  purifies  the  air  and  imparts  new  energies  to  vegetable  and  animal 
life.  All  nature  seems  renovated ;  the  fields  and  woods  smile  with  a  fresher  green, 
and  exhale  perfumes  which  are  never  more  delightful  than  after  a  thunderstorm." 

RAIN    AND    SNOW    FALLS 

The  greatest  amount  of  precipitation  usually  occurs  in  July,  the  least  in  Jan- 
uary. For  the  ten  years  from  1900  to  1909,  inclusive,  the  average  annual  rainfall 
was  thirty-two  and  one-half  inches.  "It  is  exceptional,"  says  Professor  Cox,  "that 
the  city  is  visited  by  drought  or  by  protracted  rain  periods.  The  autumn  weather 
is  especially  pleasant.  It  is  the  time  of  year  when  rain  is  least  needed  and  when 
but  little  falls.  It  is  a  time  of  protracted  sunshine  and  delightful  weather.  The 
geographical  location  of  Chicago  is  such  that  it  is  visited  by  a  moderate  amount  of 
snowfall  each  year.  This  snow  covering  tends  greatly  to  the  healthfulness  of  the 
community  in  preventing  the  circulation  of  impurities  in  the  atmosphere." 

TEMPERATURE 

"The  highest  civilization  has  never  loved  the  hot  zones,"  Emerson  wrote.  The 
climate  of  Chicago,  generally  speaking,  "is  such  as  to  incite  the  activities  of  man," 
says  Professor  Cox.  "There  is  not  sufficient  heat  at  any  time  to  make  him  slug- 
gish in  his  movements,  while  on  the  other  hand  it  is  sufficiently  varied  and  rigorous 
to  make  him  active  and  energetic." 


WEATHER  KIOSK 

At  the  southwest  corner  of  Adams  and  Dearborn  streets. 
On  the  four  faces  of  the  kiosk  are  shown  recording  instru- 
ments in  the  process  of  making  charts  which  show  daily 
changes  of  temperature  and  weather  conditions,  both  locally 
and  throughout  the  country. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  165 

A  table  of  temperatures  for  the  ten  years  from  1900  to  1909,  inclusive,  is  pre- 
sented herewith;  transcribed  from  the  records  of  the  United  States  Weather  Bureau, 
at  Chicago. 

MONTHLY  AND  ANNUAL  MEAN  TEMPERATURES 

-G  w 

Years  u    ^        u        >,-„    • 

i  4  a   s.  «•  s  •*  q  £  s   £   z  I 


.  .20 

2O 

20 

47 

c8 

64 

72 

76 

66 

61 

38 

26 

17 

4<r 

fA 

60 

77 

72 

64 

24 

4.8 

21 

3Q 

46 

CO 

64 

72 

68 

61 

26 

21 

60 

61 

68 

64 

36 

4.8 

18 

64 

68 

64 

18 

46 

68 

48 

1006 

.  .  33 

28 

3O 

60 

68 

72 

76 

7O 

Cl 

42 

33 

IQO7 

28 

26 

66 

71 

6< 

1908   .  . 

.  .20 

27 

41 

68 

71 

IQOO   . 

.  .20 

32 

36 

4S 

<6 

67 

72 

7< 

64 

CI 

48 

22 

so 

Means 25.6     23.0     36.6     4.5.7     57.1     65.6     72.6     72.1     65.7     54.3     41.8     27.8     49.1 

The  average  temperature  for  ten  years  shows  that  February  is  a  colder  month 
than  January,  verifying  the  weather  adage,  "as  the  days  grow  longer  the  cold 
grows  stronger;"  while  the  months  of  July  and  August  are  nearly  equal  in  tem- 
perature. 

GENERAL    OBSERVATIONS 

In  concluding  this  subject  we  again  quote  from  Professor  Cox,  the  able  authority 
on  meteorology  in  charge  of  the  United  States  Weather  Bureau  at  Chicago : 

"The  climate  of  Chicago  is  quite  variable,  as  is  characteristic  of  places  situated 
in  the  temperate  zone,  especially  in  the  interior  of  the  United  States.  The  extreme 
range  of  temperature  during  the  past  thirty-three  years  has  been  126  degrees,  from 
a  maximum  of  103  degrees  to  a  minimum  of  23  degrees  below  zero.  This  variation, 
however,  is  not  as  great  as  what  usually  takes  place  in  other  sections  of  the  northern 
states.  Located  as  it  is  at  the  southern  end  of  Lake  Michigan  the  extreme  heat 
of  summer  and  the  cold  of  winter  are  tempered  by  the  waters  bordering  the  city. 
In  only  one  year  did  the  temperature  equal  100  degrees  and  that  occurred  in  the 
summer  of  1901  when  the  entire  country  was  under  the  influence  of  an  unprecedented 
hot  wave  for  a  long  period.  In  fact,  a  heated  period  seldom  lasts  long  and  it  is 
unusual  that  a  maximum  of  90  degrees  or  over  is  reached  on  three  consecutive  days. 
Generally  before  the  fourth  day  arrives  Lake  Michigan  turns  cool  breezes  into 
the  city  which  are  refreshing,  and  yet  not  as  uncomfortably  cool  as  at  places  farther 
north. 

"In  winter  the  influence  of  the  lake  on  the  temperature  is  also  very  great 
in  producing  equable  conditions.  The  extremes  recorded  in  the  interior  are  not 
approached  along  its  shores." 


CHAPTER  IX 

WINNEBAGO  WAR— BEGINNINGS  OF  CHICAGO'S  GROWTH 

WINNEBAGO     INDIANS CAUSES     OF     THE     WAR THE      NEWS     REACHES     CHICAGO MEAS- 
URES     TAKEN      FOR      PROTECTION HUBBARD's      RIDE TREATY REOCCUPATION       OF 

FORT    DEARBORN JEFFERSON    DAVIS*    FIRST    VISIT    TO    CHICAGO HIS    LATER    VISIT 

ORDER    OF    COUNTY    ORGANIZATIONS COUNTIES    OF     INDIANA    TERRITORY COUNTIES 

OF     ILLINOIS     TERRITORY COUNTIES     OF     THE     STATE     OF     ILLINOIS EVOLUTION     OP 

COOK      COUNTY EARLY      COUNTY      RECORDS FURTHER      COUNTY      CHANGES JURIS- 
DICTION     OF      PEORIA      COUNTY COOK      COUNTY SKETCH      OF      DANIEL      P.      COOK • 

COMPARISON    OF    COOK    AND    POPE CHICAGO    IN    1835 NARRATIVE    OF    PETER    VIEAU 

SECOND      GENERATION      OF      THE      KINZIE      FAMILY "WAU-BUN" NELLY       KIN/IE 

GORDON. 

WINNEBAGO    WAR 

SERY  alarming  news  reached  the  little  community  of  Chicago  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1827,  to  the  effect  that  an  uprising  of  the  Winnebago  Indians 
was  threatened,  and  that  an  attack  from  them  might  soon  be  expected. 
The  troops  from  the  fort  had  been  withdrawn  four  years  previously,  and 
the  place  was  in  a  defenseless  condition.  The  fort  was  occupied  as  a 
residence  by  Dr.  Alexander  Wolcott,  the  Indian  agent,  who  was  in  charge  of  the 
establishment.  Other  occupants  were  Russell  E.  Heacock  and  a  number  of  voy- 
ageurs  and  their  families.  A  brief  account  of  the  Winnebagoes  is  given  in  the 
following  paragraphs  in  order  to  understand  more  clearly  the  causes  and  inci- 
dents of  this  "speck  of  war,"  as  it  has  been  called. 

THE    WINNEBAGO    INDIANS 

The  Winnebagoes  were  a  Wisconsin  tribe  of  Indians  who,  it  is  thought,  came 
to  Wisconsin  from  the  Lake  Winnipeg  region.  The  name  Winnebago  means  in 
the  language  of  the  Indians  fetid,  a  name  they  obtained  from  the  sulphur  springs 
in  the  neighborhood  of  which  they  lived.  The  appellation  given  them  by  the 
French  was  "Les  Puans,"  that  is,  the  Fetids.  In  "Wau-Bun"  we  read  that  they 
were  so  called  "from  the  custom  of  wearing  the  fur  of  a  pole-cat  on  their  legs 
when  equipped  for  war."  The  principal  village  of  the  Winnebagoes  was  on  Lake 
Winnebago.  The  early  missionaries  and  explorers  had  found  them  there  nearly 
two  centuries  before  the  time  of  which  we  write. 

The  Winnebagoes  were  enemies  of  the  whites  in  the  Tippecanoe  campaign 
of  1811.  The  perpetrators  of  the  murders  at  "Lee's  Place,"  in  the  spring  of  1812 
were  a  party  of  Winnebagoes ;  1  and  many  of  that  tribe  were  among  the  hostile 

1Kirkland:    "Chicago  Massacre,"  p.  116. 

166 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  167 

savages  who  took  part  in  the  massacre  near  Fort  Dearborn  in  August  of  that  year. 
Governor  Reynolds,  in  his  "Pioneer  History  of  Illinois,"  says  of  them  that  they 
were  dirty  and  savage  in  their  habits.  "They  are  a  stout,  robust  people;"  he  con- 
tinued, "their  cheek  bones  are  higher,  and  they  are  generally  a  degree  more  un- 
couth and  savage  than  the  other  tribes  near  them." 

CAUSES    OF    WAR 

But  notwithstanding  the  low  character  given  to  the  Winnebagoes,  the  conduct 
of  the  whites  with  whom  they  came  in  contact  gave  the  latter  no  advantage  by 
comparison.  The  treatment  that  the  Indians  received  from  white  adventurers 
who  flocked  in  great  numbers  into  the  country  provoked  their  resentment  and  caused 
them  to  regard  the  invaders  with  suspicion  and  distrust.  A  letter  of  Joseph  M. 
Street,  addressed  to  Governor  Ninian  Edwards,  dated  at  Prairie-du-Chien,  No- 
vember, 1827,  describes  the  situation  in  great  detail.  Street  was  then  the  Indian 
agent  at  that  point. 

Many  of  the  whites,  he  says,  "had  great  contempt  for  naked  Indians,  and  be- 
haved like  blackguards  among  them."  The  attraction  of  the  lead  mines  in  that 
region  brought  a  constantly  increasing  number  of  whites,  who  disregarded  the  oc- 
cupancy of  the  Indians,  and  opened  mines  beyond  the  limits  agreed  upon  by  treaties. 
The  territory  of  the  Winnebagoes  included  a  large  part  of  the  lead  mining  region, 
and  they  became  soured  in  consequence  of  the  impositions  and  insults  from  which 
they  constantly  suffered. 

The  trouble  with  the  Winnebagoes  was  further  aggravated  by  a  hostile  en- 
counter between  the  Dakotas  and  the  Chippewas  under  the  walls  of  Fort  Snelling, 
in  which  a  number  of  the  latter  were  killed.  Thus  at  the  start  it  was  an  affair 
between  these  two  tribes.  The  Chippewas,  who  had  been  wantonly  attacked  by 
their  enemies,  appealed  to  the  commandant,  Colonel  Josiah  Snelling.  Colonel  Snell- 
ing recognized  their  right  to  be  protected  when  within  gunshot  of  the  fort,  and 
ordered  the  arrest  of  a  number  of  the  attacking  party,  who,  though  they  were  of 
the  Dakota  tribe,  were  regarded  as  friends  by  the  Winnebagoes.  Two  out  of  the 
number  were  identified  by  the  Chippewas  and  the  Colonel  handed  them  over  to  the 
Chippewas  with  orders  to  take  them  beyond  the  range  of  the  guns  of  the  fort.  The 
Chippewas  prepared  for  vengeance  "Indian  fashion ;"  and  at  some  distance  from 
the  fort  gave  their  captives  thirty  yards  start  for  the  run  for  their  lives.  They 
had  not  gone  far  before  they  were  both  shot  dead  by  the  Chippewas. 

When  they  had  reported  the  tragic  ending  of  this  act  of  vengeance  to  the  Colonel 
at  the  fort,  he  told  them  that  the  bodies  of  the  slain  must  be  removed  beyond  the 
vicinity  of  the  fort,  as  the  execution  was  "the  exclusive  business  of  the  Chippewas." 
Thereupon  they  "took  the  dead  Dakotas  by  their  heels,  trailed  them  over  the  earth 
to  the  bluff,  and  there  threw  them  over  a  perpendicular  precipice  a  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  high.  The  bodies  splashed  and  sank,  and  nothing  more  was  ever  seen  or 
heard  of  them." 

This  affair  greatly  irritated  the  Winnebagoes,  who  made  common  cause  with 
the  Dakotas;  and,  added  to  their  other  grievances,  the  Winnebagoes  soon  took  oc- 
casion to  renew  their  attacks  on  the  Chippewas,  disregarding  the  protection  of  the 
United  States  military  authorities. 


168  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

A  short  time  before  this,  two  keel-boats  laden  with  supplies  for  Fort  Snclling 
stopped  at  a  camp  of  the  Winnebagoes  on  the  Mississippi  not  far  above  Prairie-du- 
Chien.  The  Indians  collected  about  the  boats,  as  was  alleged,  with  hostile  inten- 
tions and  for  purposes  of  plunder.  The  boat  crews,  however,  placated  them  by 
treating  them  to  liquor,  and  when  they  had  become  intoxicated,  they  seized  six  or 
seven  squaws  and  carried  them  off.  The  Indians  soon  realized  the  great  injury 
they  had  sustained,  and  several  hundred  infuriated  warriors  assembled  to  avenge 
their  wrongs  when  the  aggressors  should  return  from  Fort  Snelling.  They  had  not 
long  to  wait,  and  when  the  boats  came  in  sight  they  prepared  to  attack  them.  One 
of  the  boats  passed  safely,  but  the  other  grounded  on  a  sand  bar,  and  the  Indians 
attempted  its  capture.  After  a  severe  struggle,  however,  they  were  repulsed.  Two 
of  the  white  men  were  killed  and  so  many  wounded  that  it  was  with  difficult}7  that 
the  officer  in  charge  succeeded  in  reaching  Galena  with  the  remnant  of  his  crew.- 

That  part  of  the  preceding  episode  referring  to  the  seizing  of  the  Winnebago 
squaws  is  narrated  by  Governor  Reynolds  in  his  book,  "History  of  My  Own  Times," 
but  is  said,  in  a  paper  printed  in  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Collection  (Volume  V, 
page  144),  not  to  have  happened,  though  it  was  reported  in  the  St.  Louis  papers 
of  the  time.  In  a  note  to  the  narrative,  as  printed  in  the  Wisconsin  Collections, 
Lyman  C.  Draper  considers  the  story  to  be  "utterly  without  foundation."  The 
story  has,  however,  received  wide  acceptance,  having  been  repeated  by  Moses  in 
his  "History  of  Illinois,"  and  by  Beckwith  in  the  Fergus  Historical  Series  (Num- 
ber 27,  page  141).  But  the  fact  that  Reynolds,  who  was  in  the  Illinois  legislature 
at  that  time,  and  was  familiar  with  all  the  news  of  the  day,  relates  it  in  circum- 
stantial detail,  certainly  gives  it  respectable  authority. 

The  report  of  this  affair  spread  rapidly  through  the  western  country,  and  it 
was  fully  expected  that  attacks  might  be  looked  for  at  any  time  upon  the  frontier 
forts  and  trading  posts.  Just  at  this  time  General  Lewis  Cass,  who  was  then  Gov- 
ernor of  Michigan  Territory,  reached  Green  Bay  on  a  tour  of  the  frontier;  and, 
hearing  of  the  "massacre"  (as  it  was  called)  on  the  Upper  Mississippi,  he  took  a 
canoe  with  twelve  voyageurs,  and  rapidly  passed  up  the  Fox  River  and  down  the 
Wisconsin  into  the  Mississippi. 

At  Prairie-du-Chien  the  governor  found  the  inhabitants  in  the  greatest  state  of 
alarm,  and  after  organizing  the  militia,  continued  his  voyage  to  St.  Louis.  From 
this  point  he  started  a  force  under  General  Henry  Atkinson  to  the  lead-mining  region, 
while  he  himself,  in  a  canoe,  hastened  on  his  return  to  Lake  Michigan  by  way  of 
Chicago.  He  and  his  party  passed  over  the  "Mud  Lake  Portage,"  that  is,  from  the 
Desplaines  into  the  Chicago  River,  without  leaving  their  canoe,  the  water  having 
filled  the  swamps  so  that  there  was  continuous  navigation  throughout.  The  entire 
journey,  from  Green  Bay  around  by  way  of  St.  Louis  to  Chicago,  had  been  accom- 
plished in  thirteen  days. 

THE    NEWS    REACHES    CHICAGO 

On  the  approach  of  Governor  Cass  and  his  crew  of  thirteen  voyageurs,  the 
family  of  Mr.  Kinzie  was  at  breakfast  in  his  house,  and  with  them  was  Gurdon  S. 
Hubbard,  then  in  business  for  himself  as  an  Indian  trader.  Voices  were  heard 

2  Moses:    "Illinois,"  I,  347. 


OF     ILLINOIS     SHOWING 
COUNTY    BOUNDARIES    IN 
1831 


From  Stevens'  "Black  Hawk  War" 


From  Stevens'  "Black  Hawk  War" 

LIEUTENANT  JEFFERSON  DAVIS 

In  1829  Jefferson  Davis,  a  second  lieuten- 
ant stationed  at  Fort  Winnebago,  visited 
Chicago. 


LEWIS   CASS 

Governor    of    Michigan    Territory    at    the 
time  of  the  Winnebago  War. 


CALUMET  OR  PEACE  PIPE 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  169 

in  the  distance,  which  on  nearer  approach  proved  to  be  the  boat  songs  of  the 
voyageurs.  Every  one  left  the  table  for  the  piazza  of  the  house,  and  at  once  Mr. 
Kinzie  recognized  the  leading  voice  as  that  of  "Bob"  Forsyth,  who  was  then  sec- 
retary to  Governor  Cass.  From  them  they  received  the  first  news  of  the  breaking 
out  of  the  Winnebago  war,  and  the  massacre  on  the  Upper  Mississippi.  "Governor 
Cass  remained  at  Chicago  but  a  few  hours,"  says  Hubbard  in  his  autobiography, 
"coasting  Lake  Michigan  back  to  Green  Bay." 

As  soon  as  the  governor  left,  the  inhabitants  met  for  consultation,  and  it  was 
decided  that  Shabonee  and  Billy  Caldwell,  also  called  Sauganash,  both  of  whom 
could  be  depended  upon,  should  be  asked  to  visit  the  Pottawattomie  chief,  Big  Foot, 
at  his  village  on  Big  Foot  Lake,  now  known  as  Geneva  Lake.  The  purpose  of 
this  visit  was  to  ascertain  the  designs  of  the  Winnebagoes,  with  whom  it  was  known 
that  Big  Foot  was  on  friendly  terms.  The  two  chiefs  undertook  the  journey,  but 
were  not  well  received  by  Big  Foot,  and  Shabonee  and  his  companion  chief  made 
their  way  back  to  Chicago,  where  they  made  a  report  to  the  effect  that  the  Winne- 
bagoes maintained  a  hostile  attitude  toward  the  whites,  and  that  an  attack  might 
soon  be  expected. 

MEASURES  TAKEN  FOR  PROTECTION 

The  small  community,  now  thrown  on  its  own  resources,  was  greatly  excited. 
No  troops  at  the  fort,  no  militia  organization  in  effect,  and  far  removed  from  succor 
if  the  Indians  should  attack  them,  there  was  ample  cause  for  the  alarm  of  the 
the  few  inhabitants  of  the  place.  The  total  population  at  that  time  was  about  one 
hundred,3  the  principal  men  being  John  B.  Beaubien,  and  his  brother  Mark,  Jonas 
Clybourn  and  his  son  Archibald,  John  K.  Clark,  John  Crafts,  Jeremy  Clermont, 
Louis  Coutra,  James  Galloway,  Russell  E.  Heacock,  John  Kinzie,  Claude  Lafram- 
boise,  Joseph  Laframboise,  David  McKee,  Peter  Piche,  Alexander  Robinson,  Alex- 
ander Wolcott,  and  Antoine  Ouilmette.4  The  name  of  Gurdon  S.  Hubbard  is  not 
included  among  these,  for,  although  he  was  present  at  Chicago  at  this  time,  his 
business  establishment  was  on  the  Wabash.  In  addition  there  was  also  a  consid- 
erable number  of  voyageurs  and  engages  of  the  Fur  Company,  hunters  and  woods- 
men, composed  mostly  of  Canadian  half-breeds,  interspersed  with  a  few  Americans. 

On  receiving  the  report  brought  by  Shabonee  and  Caldwell,  the  inhabitants 
again  assembled  for  consultation,  when  a  suggestion  was  made  by  Gurdon  S.  Hub- 
bard,  then  a  young  man  of  twenty-five,  that  some  one  ought  to  go  to  the  Wabash 
to  obtain  assistance,  at  the  same  time  tendering  his  services.  "This  was  at  first 
objected  to,"  writes  Hubbard  in  his  narrative,  "on  the  ground  that  a  majority  of 
the  men  at  the  fort  were  in  my  employ,  and  in  case  of  an  attack,  no  one  could 
manage  them  or  enforce  their  aid  but  myself.  It  was,  however,  decided  that  I 
should  go,  as  I  knew  the  route  and  all  the  settlers." 

HUBBARD'S  RIDE 

Many  famous  rides  have  been  celebrated  in  song  and  story,  like  the  ride  of  Paul 
Revere,  with  whom,  as  the  poet  says, 

3  Wisconsin  Historical   Collections,  V,  216. 

4  Andreas,   I,  101. 


170  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

"The   fate  of  a  nation   was   riding  that  night;" 
or  like  that  of  the  rider  in  Browning's  poem,  who  bore 

-  the  news  that  alone  could  save  Aix  from  her   fate." 

Such  a  ride  was  that  which  the  gallant  young  Hubbard  had  before  him,  through 
a  thinly  settled  region;  for  not  a  moment  was  to  be  lost,  and  the  day  was  approach- 
ing its  close.  Hubbard  saddled  his  horse,  and,  without  a  companion,  was  off  on 
the  hundred  mile  stretch  to  the  Wabash.  Here  was  a  situation  which  might  well 
kindle  the  imagination  of  a  poet,  or  become  the  subject  of  a  thrilling  romantic  tale. 

Let  Hubbard  relate  it  as  we  find  it  in  his  narrative,  told  in  his  own  simple 
and  unpretentious  words:  "I  started  between  four  and  five  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, reaching  my  trading  house  on  the  Iroquois  river  by  midnight,  where  I  changed 
my  horse  and  went  on;  it  was  a  dark,  rainy  night.  On  reaching  Sugar  creek,  I 
found  the  stream  swollen  out  of  its  banks,  and  niy  horse  refusing  to  cross,  I  was 
obliged  to  wait  till  daylight,  when  I  discovered  that  a  large  tree  had  fallen  across 
the  trail,  making  the  ford  impassable.  I  swam  the  stream  and  went  on,  reaching 
.my  friend  Mr.  Spencer's  house  at  noon,  tired  out.  Mr.  Spencer  started  immediately 
to  give  the  alarm,  asking  for  volunteers  to  meet  at  Danville  the  next  evening,  with 
five  days'  rations.  By  the  day  following  at  the  hour  appointed,  one  hundred  men 
were  organized  into  a  company,  and,  appointing  a  Mr.  Morgan,6  an  old  frontier 
fighter,  as  their  captain,  we  immediately  started  for  Chicago,  camping  that  night 
on  the  north  fork  of  the  Vermilion  River.  It  rained  continually,  the  trail  was  very 
muddy,  and  we  were  obliged  to  swim  most  of  the  streams  and  many  of  the  large 
sloughs,  but  we  still  pushed  on,  reaching  Fort  Dearborn  the  seventh  day  after  my 
departure,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  waiting  people. 

"We  reorganized,  and  had  a  force  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  Morgan 
commanding.  At  the  end  of  thirty  days,  news  came  of  the  defeat  of  the  Winne- 
bagoes,  and  of  their  treaty.  .  .  .  Upon  hearing  this,  Morgan  disbanded  his 
company,  who  returned  to  their  homes,  leaving  Fort  Dearborn  in  charge  of  the 
Indian  agent,  as  before." 

The  treaty  referred  to  was  concluded  by  Governor  Cass  at  Green  Bay,  and 
came  just  in  the  nick  of  time  to  prevent  a  devastating  Indian  war. 

This  flying  trip  made  by  Governor  Cass,  so  fraught  with  consequences  of  good 
or  ill  to  the  scattered  people  of  the  Northwest,  was  one  of  the  most  thrilling  in  the 
adventurous  life  of  the  man  whose  early  career  was  so  closely  woven  into  the  warp 
and  woof  of  western  history.  The  scenes  of  that  journey,  made  in  a  light  canoe, 
traveling  night  and  day,  "the  silence,  the  wildness  of  the  scenery,  the  intense  ex- 
citement and  anxiety  lest  his  efforts  should  be  too  late,  made  the  deepest  impression 
upon  his  own  imagination  and  memory." 6 

In  later  years  Lewis  Cass,  who  had  been  a  general  in  the  United  States  army, 
governor  of  Michigan  Territory,  and  the  negotiator  of  a  score  of  Indian  treaties, 
was  appointed  United  States  minister  to  France;  and  while  at  the  palace  of  St. 
Cloud,  the  recollection  of  these  scenes  came  back  to  him  with  all  their  vividness, 
and  as  he  contemplated  the  quiet  flow  of  the  Seine,  he  compared  it  with  "the  mighty 

5  Achilles  Morgan.     See  Fergus,  No.  10,  p.  48. 
"McLaughlin:    "Lewis  Cass"  (Ed.  1899),  p.  129. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  171 

Mississippi  and  the  even  more  mighty  Missouri,  remembering  how  he  was  whirled 
along  through  the  night  on  a  race  for  peace  and  the  lives  of  his  people." 

THE  REOCCUPATION  OF  FORT  DEARBORN 

Fort  Dearborn  was  reoccupied  by  United  States  troops  in  consequence  of  an 
order  issued  by  the  general-in-chief  of  the  army,  Major  General  Alexander  Macomb, 
under  date  of  August  19,  18£8.  Two  companies  of  the  Fifth  regiment  of  Infantry 
were  sent  here  under  command  of  Captain  John  Fowle,  Jr.  This  force  arrived  on 
the  third  of  October  in  the  same  year.7  The  first  lieutenant  of  one  of  the  com- 
panies was  David  Hunter,  who  rose  to  the  rank  of  major-general  during  the  Civil 
War.  Lieutenant  Hunter  was  married  to  Maria  Indiana  Kinzie,  who  was  born  in 
Chicago  in  1807,  one  of  the  daughters  of  John  Kinzie.8 

This  reoccupation,  however,  only  lasted  until  May  20,  1831,  when  the  fort  was 
again  evacuated,  only  to  be  once  more  reoccupied  just  before  the  Black  Hawk  War 
in  1832.  The  vicissitudes  in  the  military  history  of  Fort  Dearborn — its  various 
periods  of  occupation  and  vacancy — will  be  recapitulated  when  the  final  evacuation 
shall  have  been  noticed  in  a  later  chapter  of  this  history. 

Fleeting  glimpses  of  various  personages,  well-known  in  the  later  history  of  the 
country,  are  obtained  from  the  records  of  these  times.  Mrs.  Kinzie  while  at  Fort 
Winnebago,  in  1831,  makes  mention,  in  "Wau-Bun,"  of  a  young  lieutenant  who 
had  superintended  the  construction  of  the  house  which  she  and  her  husband,  John 
H.  Kinzie,  were  to  occupy.  After  its  completion  they  christened  the  whole  affair, 
in  honor  of  its  projector,  "The  Davis,"  thus  "placing  the  first  laurel  on  the  brow 
of  one  who  was  afterwards  to  signalize  himself  at  Buena  Vista,  and  in  the  cabinet 
of  his  country."  This  was  none  other  than  Jefferson  Davis,  who  was  at  that  time 
second  lieutenant  in  the  First  Infantry.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  date  of 
the  publication  of  Mrs.  Kinzie's  book,  1856,  was  subsequent  to  the  Mexican  War, 
but  before  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War.  Lieutenant  Jefferson  Davis  had  in  fact 
assisted  in  the  construction  of  Fort  Winnebago  in  1828,  and  was  on  duty  there  at 
the  time  of  Mrs.  Kinzie's  sojourn  at  that  fort.9 

t 

JEFFERSON    DAVIS*    FIRST    VISIT    TO    CHICAGO 

Jefferson  Davis  was  a  visitor  at  Chicago  even  before  Mrs.  Kinzie's  mention  of 
him  as  above  related.  In  an  address  made  in  1881  by  John  Wentworth  at  the  un- 
veiling of  the  memorial  tablet  to  mark  the  site  of  Fort  Dearborn,  he  quotes  from 
a  letter  he  had  recently  received  from  General  Hunter.  "In  October,  1829," 
writes  the  General,  "I  saw  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  opposite  the  fort,  a  white 
man;  and  wondering  where  he  could  have  come  from,  I  got  into  a  small  wooden 
canoe,  intended  for  only  one  person,  and  paddled  over  to  interview  him.  He  in- 
troduced himself  to  me  as  Second-Lieutenant  Jefferson  Davis,  of  the  First  Infantry, 
from  Fort  Winnebago  in  pursuit  of  deserters.  I,  of  course,  was  very  glad  to  see 
Lieutenant  Davis.  I  invited  him  to  lie'down  in  my  canoe,  and  I  paddled  him  safely 

7  Fergus'  Historical  Series,  16,  p.  48. 
slbid.,  No.  16,  p.  30.    Wau-Bun   (Caxton  Ed.),  p.  16. 
0  Chicago  Historical   Society  Report  for  1908,   p.  71. 


172  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

to  the  fort.  He  was  my  guest  until  refreshed  and  ready  to  return  to  Fort  Winne- 
bago.  This,  no  doubt,  was  the  first  visit  of  Jefferson  Davis  to  Chicago."  10 

Let  us  briefly  follow  the  subsequent  career  of  this  remarkable  man,  although 
anticipating  later  history  to  some  extent,  until  we  again  meet  with  him  in  the 
streets  of  the  city  of  Chicago.  After  seven  years  of  arduous  service  chiefly  on  the 
frontier,  taking  part  in  Indian  wars,  during  which  time  he  distinguished  himself 
by  bravery  and  devotion  to  duty,  he  resigned  his  commission  in  the  army.  He  mar- 
ried the  daughter  of  Major  Zachary  Taylor  and  settled  down  to  the  life  of  a  pros- 
perous cotton  planter  and  slave  owner  in  Mississippi,  and  became  a  member  of 
Congress  in  1845.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Mexican  War,  in  1846,  he  once 
more  entered  the  army  and  was  commissioned  a  colonel  of  a  Mississippi  regiment, 
which  he  led  with  brilliant  success  in  that  war.11 

In  1847  Davis  was  appointed  by  the  governor  of  Mississippi  to  fill  a  vacancy  in 
the  United  States  Senate ;  in  1 850  he  was  chosen  by  President  Franklin  Pierce  as 
Secretary  of  War.  In  1861  he  became  president  of  the  Confederate  States,  was 
made  a  prisoner  at  the  close  of  the  war,  and  passed  two  years  in  captivity ;  all  of 
which  is  well-known  history. 

DAVIS    AGAIN    VISITS    CHICAGO 

On  the  day  when  John  Wentworth  made  his  address  above  referred  to,  namely 
May  21,  1881,  the  speaker  paused  to  make  a  digression  in  order  to  state,  he  said, 
that  while  on  his  way  to  the  assemblage  he  had  noticed,  in  the  Evening  Journal 
of  that  day,  the  announcement  that  Jefferson  Davis  had  arrived  in  the  city.  "I 
immediately  drove  to  his  hotel,"  said  he,  "and  found  that  he  was  absent.  I  intended 
to  have  invited  him  to  come  here  and  address  you.  He  could  tell  you  many  things 
of  interest  about  the  North- West  in  early  times.  And  I  know  he  would.  For  when 
he  and  I  were  in  the  House  of  Representatives  together,  he  was  accustomed  to  in- 
quire for  our  early  families,  and  to  narrate  many  pleasant  incidents.  I  know  you 
would  have  given  him  a  cordial  reception.  I  think  we  must  have  nearly  a  thou- 
sand of  his  soldiers,  in  the  late  war  of  the  Rebellion,  amongst  us  doing  business, 
and  we  had  rather  have  more  than  less  of  them.  Chicago  has  ever  been  a  hos- 
pitable, as  well  as  a  cosmopolitan  city. 

"Now,  would  it  not  have  created  a  sensation  throughout  the  country,"  con- 
tinued Mr.  Wentworth  in  his  address,  "if  it  could  have  been  telegraphed  that 
Jefferson  Davis  wras  here  today  entertaining  us  with  his  experience  in  early  Chi- 
cago !"  Unfortunately,  however,  Mr.  Davis  did  not  make  his  appearance,  owing 
to  some  misunderstanding.  He  rode  within  one  block  of  the  place  where  Mr.  Went- 
worth was  making  his  address,  but  apparently  was  not  aware  of  it;  and  when  the 
next  morning  he  read  the  report  of  the  proceedings  and  the  speech  of  Mr.  Went- 
worth, with  its  kind  reference  to  himself,  he  expressed  his  regrets  at  not  having 
been  present. 

THE    ORDER    OF    COUNTY   ORGANIZATIONS 

In  order  to  understand  the  development  of  the  county  divisions  in  Illinois,  so 
far  as  they  affect  the  history  of  Cook  County,  it  will  make  it  clearer  to  give  a  brief 
summary  of  the  history  of  county  divisions  from  the  beginning. 

10  Fergus,  No.  16,  p.  28. 

11  Lee:    "Civil  War,"  p.  138. 


]!y  permission  of  Historical  Society 

From  a  sketch  made  by  his  daughter.  Eleanor  Kinzle  Gordon,  from  the  painting  1>J 

JOHN   H.   KIXZIE 
Son  of  Jolin  Kinzie,  Chicago's  first  settler 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  173 

When  Virginia  assumed  jurisdiction  of  the  Illinois  Country,  the  "County  of 
Illinois"  was  formed  by  an  Act  of  the  Virginia  House  of  Delegates,  passed  De- 
cember 9,  1778.12  "The  new  count}',"  says  Boggess,  "was  to  include  the  inhabitants 
of  Virginia,  north  of  the  Ohio  River,  but  its  location  was  not  more  definitely  estab- 
lished." 13  Captain  John  Todd  was  appointed  "Lieutenant  Commandant,"  and  the 
county  seat  was  located  at  Kaskaskia.14  The  County  of  Illinois  has  been  called 
the  "Mother  of  Counties,"  for  from  its  vast  extent  was  afterwards  formed  the 
Northwest  Territory,  and,  still  later,  the  five  great  states  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illi- 
nois, Michigan  and  Wisconsin,  with  their  numerous  county  divisions  included  within 
them. 

The  "County  of  Illinois"  ceased  to  exist  in  1782,13  and  thereafter  there  was 
no  county  government  provided  for  until  the  formation  of  the  Northwest  Territory 
had  been  completed  under  the  Ordinance  of  1787.  "When  that  county  ceased  to 
be,"  writes  Boggess,  "anarchy  became  technically  as  well  as  practically  its  con- 
dition;"16 and  so  continued  until  1790.  On  April  27th  of  that  year,  General 
Arthur  St.  Clair,  the  first  governor  of  the  Northwest  Territory,  established  by 
proclamation  the  County  of  St.  Clair,17  which,  however,  only  included  the  western 
portion  of  what  is  now  the  State  of  Illinois.  On  June  20th  of  the  same  year, 
General  St.  Clair,  by  proclamation,  established  the  County  of  Knox  18  (named  after 
General  Henry  Knox  of  Revolutionary  fame),  within  the  limits  of  which  county 
the  present  County  of  Cook  was  included.  Afterwards,  on  October  5,  1795,  Ran- 
dolph County  was  set  off  from  St.  Clair  County  by  proclamation  of  the  governor, 
which  however  did  not  affect  the  boundaries  of  Knox  County.  These  were  Coun- 
ties of  the  Northwest  Territory. 

COUNTIES    OF    INDIANA    TERRITORY 

The  Territory  of  Indiana  was  established  May  7,  1800,10  which  included  what 
is  now  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  General  William  Henry  Harrison  was  appointed 
governor.  The  boundaries  of  the  counties  of  St.  Clair,  Knox  and  Randolph  remained 
the  same  as  established  by  the  proclamations  of  General  St.  Clair.  On  the  3d  of 
February,  1801,  General  Harrison  issued  a  proclamation  changing  the  boundaries 
of  St.  Clair  County,  which  then  embraced  almost  the  entire  territory  within  the 
present  State  of  Illinois,  including  the  present  County  of  Cook.  Knox  County 
thus  ceases  to  have  any  further  interest  in  this  connection.  Subsequently,  other 
changes  in  county  boundaries  were  made  without  affecting  the  territory  of  the  north- 
ern portion  of  St.  Clair  County. 

COUNTIES  OF   ILLINOIS  TERRITORY 

On  February  S,  1809,  the  Territory  of  Illinois  was  formed  by  Act  of  Congress, 
though  it  did  not  go  into  effect  until  the  1st  of  the  following  March.20  The  county 

12  Boggess.    "Settlement  of  Illinois,"  p.  9. 

13  Ibid.,  p.  10. 

14  Rose.    "Counties  of  Illinois,"  p.  3. 

16  Boggess,  "Sett.  111.,"  p.  31. 
10  Ibid.,  p.  40. 

17  Rose.    "Counties  of  Illinois,"  p.  4. 

18  Ibid.,  p.  1 6. 

19  U.  S.  Statutes-at-Large,  Vol.  II,  pp.  58-59. 

20  Greene.   "Government  of  Illinois,"  p.  221. 


174  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

boundaries  existing  under  the  previous  form  of  government  were  continued  the 
same  until  the  28th  of  April  of  the  same  year,  when  a  change  was  made  in  the 
southern  boundary  of  St.  Clair  County,  but  this  made  no  difference  with  that  part 
of  the  county  in  which  the  present  county  of  Cook  is  situated.  On  the  14th  of 
September,  1812,  another  change  was  made  whereby  the  larger  portion  of  the 
Territory  was  included  in  a  new  county  division,  called  Madison  County,  named 
in  honor  of  President  James  Madison.  On  the  28th  of  November,  1814,  the  county 
divisions  were '  changed  so  that  Edwards  County,  named  in  honor  of  Ninian  Ed- 
wards, comprised  the  eastern  portion  of  Madison  County.  On  December  31,  1816, 
Crawford  County,  named  in  honor  of  William  H.  Crawford,  then  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  was  formed  from  the  northern  part  of  Edwards  County. 

COUNTIES  OP    THE    STATE    OP    ILLINOIS 

Illinois  was  admitted  as  a  state  December  3,  1818.  On  March  22,  1819,  a  num- 
ber of  changes  were  made  in  county  divisions  and  the  northern  portion  of  Crawford 
County  was  formed  into  a  new  county  division  called  Clark  County,  named  after 
General  George  Rogers  Clark.  On  the  31st  of  January,  1821,  the  northern  portion 
of  Clark  County  was  placed  within  the  limits  of  Pike  County,  named  in  honor  of 
Zebulon  M.  Pike.  On  the  13th  of  January,  1825,  a  large  portion  of  the  northern 
part  of  the  state  was  included  in  a  new  county  division  called  Putnam  County, 
named  in  honor  of  General  Israel  Putnam,  a  hero  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  This 
continued  until  the  15th  of  January,  1831,  when  Cook  County  was  formed  by  legis- 
lative enactment,  further  details  of  which  will  be  given  below. 

The  reader  is  advised  to  procure  the  very  interesting  pamphlet  compiled  by 
Secretary  of  State  James  A.  Rose,  in  which  the  boundaries  of  the  counties  of  Illi- 
nois are  given  at  the  time  of  their  formation,  with  the  changes  that  were  made 
at  later  dates.  A  series  of  maps  is  given  in  the  same  work  showing  the  regions 
embraced  in  the  county  divisions. 

THE    EVOLUTION     OF     COOK     COUNTY 

The  succession  of  county  changes,  with  reference  to  the  present  site  of  Cook 
County,  is  shown  below: 

VIRGINIA  JURISDICTION,  1778-1784 — Illinois  County,  formed  December  9,  1778, 
ceased  to  exist,  January  5,  1782. 

NORTHWEST  TERRITORY,  July  13,  1787 — Knox  County,  formed  June  20,  1790. 

INDIANA  TERRITORY,  May  7,  1800 — Knox  County,  continued  as  it  existed,  under 
the  government  of  the  Northwest  Territory.  (St.  Clair  County,  formed  April  27, 
1790,  under  the  government  of  the  Northwest  Territory.  Enlarged,  February  3, 
1801.) 

ILLINOIS  TERRITORY,  February  3,  1809 — St.  Clair  County,  continued  as  it  ex- 
isted under  the  government  of  Indiana  Territory.  Madison  County,  formed,  Sep- 
tember 14,  1812.  Edwards  County,  formed  November  28,  1814.  Crawford  County, 
formed,  December  31,  1816. 

STATE  OF  ILLINOIS,  December  3,  1818 — Crawford  County,  continued  as  it  ex- 
isted under  the  government  of  Illinois  Territory.  Clark  County,  formed,  March 
22,  1819.  Pike  County,  formed,  January  31,  1821.  Fulton  County,  formed  Jan- 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  175 

uary  28,  1823.     Putnam  County,  formed  January  13,  1825.     Peoria  County,  formed 
January  13,  1825.     Cook  County,  formed  January  15,  1831. 

In  the  foregoing  paragraphs  the  history  of  the  Counties  of  Illinois  is  given 
only  so  far  as  it  affects  the  present  site  of  Cook  County. 

EARLY     COUNTY    RECORDS 

There  are  no  county  records  referring  to  Chicago  or  its  inhabitants  until  after 
Pike  County  was  formed,  January  31,  1821.  On  the  5th  of  June,  1821,  this  entry 
appears  on  the  records  of  the  County  Commissioners  of  Pike  County:  "Ordered,  on 
motion  of  Abraham  Beck,  Esq.,  that  John  Kinzie  be  recommended  to  the  Governor 
of  this  state  as  a  fit  and  suitable  person  to  be  commissioned  as  a  Justice  of  the  Peace 
of  this  [Pike]  County."  21 

On  the  formation  of  Fulton  County,  January  28,  1823,  the  northern  portion 
of  what  had  been  Pike  County  came  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Commissioners 
of  Fulton  County.  On  the  3d  of  June,  1823,  it  was  ordered  by  the  Commissioner 
of  Fulton  County  "that  Amherst  C.  Rausam  be  recommended  to  fill  the  office  of 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  vice  Samuel  Fulton,  resigned."  22 

There  is  no  mention  of  John  Kinzie's  receiving  the  appointment  of  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  as  recommended  by  the  Commissioners  of  Pike  County,  two  years  be- 
fore. The  records  show  that  Rausam  qualified  soon  after  the  date  above  mentioned, 
evidently  having  received  the  appointment  as  recommended. 

On  the  5th  of  July,  1823,  this  record  appears:  "Ordered  .  .  .  that  the 
Treasurer  pay  to  A.  C.  Rausam  the  sum  of  four  dollars  for  taking  a  list  of  the 
taxable  property  at  Chicago  in  said  County,  and  collecting  the  same,  so  soon  as 
he,  the  said  Rausam,  shall  pay  the  same  over  to  the  County  Treasurer,  in  such 
money  as  he  received."  2S 

An  election  was  ordered  in  the  following  September  to  be  held  at  John  Kinzie's 
house  for  one  major  and  company  officers  in  the  militia.  On  the  marriage  records 
of  Fulton  County  is  that  of  Alexander  Wolcott  and  Ellen  M.  Kinzie,  daughter  of 
John  Kinzie.  The  date  of  this  marriage  is  July  20,  1823.  The  ceremony  was 
performed  by  John  Hamlin,  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Fulton  County,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  passing  through  Chicago  from  Green  Bay  to  his  place  of  residence.24 

FURTHER    COUNTY     CHANGES 

When  Putnam  County  was  formed,  January  13,  1825,  the  boundaries  specified 
included  a  large  portion  of  the  territory  lately  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Fulton 
County,  and  within  these  boundaries  was  the  present  area  of  Cook  County.  On 
the  same  day  that  Putnam  County  was  formed  Peoria  County  was  also  formed, 
with  boundaries  the  same  as  it  has  at  the  present  day.  A  section  of  the  act 
creating  Peoria  County  is  as  follows:  "Be  it  further  enacted,  that  all  that  tract 
of  country  north  of  said  Peoria  County,  and  of  the  Illinois  and  Kankakee  rivers, 
be,  and  the  same  is  hereby,  attached  to  the  said  county  for  all  county  purposes."  23 

21  Records  of  Commissioners  of  Pike  County,  No.  i,  page  3. 
--  Fergus,  No.  7,  page  50. 

23  Fergus,  No.  7,  page  50. 

24  Ibid.,  p.  51. 

25  Laws  of  Illinois,  1825,  page  87. 


176  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

As  all  that  tract  of  country,  thus  described,  exactly  corresponds  to  the  region 
included  within  the  boundaries  of  Putnam  County  (and  in  which  Cook  County  now 
lies),  it  will  be  seen  that  Putnam  County  had  no  governmental  powers  whatever 
at  this  time,  and  that  the  entire  area  of  Putnam  County  came  under  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  Peoria  County.  Thus,  while  the  present  Cook  County  was  nominally  in- 
cluded within  the  limits  of,  and  was  evolved  geographically  from,  Putnam  County, 
it  was  reckoned  a  part  of  Peoria  County  "for  all  county  purposes." 

UNDER    JURISDICTION    OF    PEORIA    COUNTY 

The  Board  of  Commissioners  of  Peoria  County,  on  July  28,  1825,  commissioned 
John  Kinzie  as  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  was  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace  resi- 
dent at  Chicago,  as  the  others  previously  mentioned  in  that  connection  were  resi- 
dents of  other  parts  of  the  state.  Having  at  last  become  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
John  Kinzie  exercised  his  authority  and  performed  the  marriage  ceremony  for  a 
number  of  couples  during  the  year  1826,  as  appears  by  the  records.  Among  those 
united  in  marriage  was  Samuel  Miller  and  Elizabeth  Kinzie,  his  daughter  by  Mar- 
garet McKenzie;  also  Alexander  Robinson,  the  Indian  chief,  and  Catherine 
Chevalier.26 

The  county  was  divided  into  two  election  precincts  on  December  8,  1825,  one 
of  which  was  called  the  "Chicago  precinct."  27  There  were  special  elections  ordered 
from  time  to  time  for  local  officers,  while  Chicago  was  a  precinct  of  Peoria  County. 
At  one  of  these,  July  24,  1830,  John  S.  C.  Hogan  was  elected  for  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  (this  office  having  been  made  elective  in  1826),  and  Horatio  G.  Smith  for 
constable.  At  this  election  there  was  a  total  of  fifty-six  votes  polled.28 

COOK    COUNTY 

The  County  of  Cook  was  organized  January  15,  183 1.29  It  was  named  after 
Daniel  P.  Cook,  first  Attorney  General  of  the  State  and  representative  in  Con- 
gress from  1819  to  1827.30  The  first  commissioners  were  Samuel  Miller,  Gholson 
Kercheval  and  James  Walker,  sworn  into  office,  March  8,  1831,  by  John  S.  C. 
Hogan.31  Three  election  districts  were  organized;  one  at  Chicago,  one  on  the 
Du  Page  River,  and  one  on  Hickory  Creek.32  At  the  time  of  its  organization  it 
included  within  its  limits  all  of  the  present  territories  of  Cook,  Lake  and  Du  Page 
-Counties,  and  portions  of  those  of  McHenry,  Kane  and  Will  Counties.33 

DANIEL  p.  COOK 

Some  more  extended  mention  of  Daniel  Pope  Cook  will  give  the  reader  a  clearer 
idea  of  the  man  in  whose  honor  Cook  County  was  named.  Daniel  P.  Cook  was 

20  Fergus,  No.  7,  page  56. 

27  Drown.     "Record  and  Historical  Review  of  Peoria,"  p.  85. 

28  Fergus,  No.  7,  page  54. 

29  Rose.    "Counties  of  Illinois,"  p.  52. 

30  Blue  Book,  Illinois,  for  1907,  p.  364. 

31  Blanchard.    "Northwest,"  Vol.  I,  p.  584. 

32  Ibid.,  p.  584. 

33  Rose.    "Counties  of  Illinois,"  p.  53. 


4  4  $.4  44  4  *  4  4  A 

^ 
» 

ADVERTISER'S  DIRECTORY 


If  0  If 

ill  \7M1    1 


CORNER  LAKE  AND  DEARBORN  STREETS, 


THIS  spacious  Hotel,  is  the  most  convenient  to  the  Steam  j 
JBoat  Landings  of  any  in  the  city     The  offices  of  the  Eastern^ 

By  permission  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 

PART  OF  A  PAGE  REPRODUCED  FROM  THE  CHICAGO  DIRECTORY  OF 

The  first  Tremont  House  was  built  in  1833  and  burned  in  1839.     The  second  Tremont 
House,  built  in  1840,  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1849. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  177 

born  in  Kentucky  in  1795.  He  removed  to  Illinois  and  began  the  practice  of  law 
at  Kaskaskia  in  1815.  The  next  year  he  became  editor  and  part  owner  of  the 
Illinois  Intelligencer,  at  that  time  the  only  newspaper  in  the  territory.  In  a 
note  on  the  letters  of  Cook,  printed  in  the  "Edwards  Papers,"  it  is  said  that  "Cook 
was  undoubtedly  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  remarkable  men  whose  names  ever 
graced  the  annals  of  Illinois."  In  1816  he  was  appointed  by  Ninian  Edwards,  the 
Governor  of  Illinois  Territory,  as  Auditor  of  Public  Accounts.  In  1817  he  was 
sent  by  President  Monroe  as  bearer  of  dispatches  to  John  Quincy  Adams,  then 
minister  to  London,  and  on  his  return  was  appointed  a  Circuit  Judge.  Two  years 
after  Illinois  was  admitted  as  a  state  Cook  was  elected  to  Congress,  and  re-elected 
three  times,  thus  making  a  service  of  eight  years.  He  married  a  daughter  of  Gov- 
ernor Ninian  Edwards  and  became  a  resident  of  Edwardsville.  A  son  of  this 
union,  John  Cook,  born  in  1825,  was  colonel  of  the  Seventh  regiment  of  Illinois 
Volunteers,  which  was  the  first  regiment  organized  in  this  state  after  the  first  call 
for  troops  by  President  Lincoln.  (The  regiments  which  were  numbered  from  one 
to  six,  it  will  be  remembered,  belong  to  those  in  service  during  the  Mexican  War). 
John  Cook  was  brevetted  a  major-general  at  the  close  of  the  war. 

Daniel  P.  Cook  was  conspicuous  in  his  opposition  to  the  attempt  made  during 
Governor  Coles'  administration,  in  1823-4,  to  make  Illinois  a  slave  state.  While 
in  Congress  he  bore  a  prominent  part  in  securing  the  donation  of  lands  by  the 
National  Government  for  the  construction  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal.  "He 
was  distiguished  for  his  eloquence,"  says  a  writer  in  the  Historical  Encyclopaedia, 
"and  it  was  during  his  first  Congressional  campaign  that  'stump  speaking'  was  in- 
troduced into  the  state." 

In  1826,  Mr.  Cook  was  beaten  for  Congress  by  Joseph  Duncan,  who  afterwards 
became  governor  of  the  state.  Cook's  health  began  to  fail  during  his  last  term  in 
Congress,  and  after  his  retirement  from  that  body  he  went  to  Cuba  in  the  vain 
hope  of  recovering  his  health  and  strength.  After  a  few  months  he  returned  to  his 
home  in  Edwardsville,  but  nothing  could  stay  the  progress  of  the  disease  from 
which  he  was  suffering.  His  mind  reverted  to  the  scenes  of  his  childhood,  and  he 
went  back  to  Kentucky,  where  he  breathed  his  last,  a  victim  of  consumption,  Octo- 
ber 16th,  1827.  He  was  thus  only  thirty-two  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
but  so  great  an  impression  had  he  made  upon  the  men  and  events  of  his  time  that 
when  four  years  after  his  death  a  new  county  was  formed  it  was  named  Cook  County 
in  his  honor. 

Daniel  P.  Cook  probably  never  visited  the  part  of  the  state  in  which  Cook 
County  is  situated,  and  he  holds  a  place  in  this  history  only  in  consequence  of  the 
fact  that  Cook  County,  in  which  Chicago  is  situated,  bears  his  honored  name.  But 
it  should  be  a  matter  of  pride  with  the  citizens  of  Chicago  that  so  eminent  and 
illustrious  a  man  as  Daniel  Pope  Cook  is  thus  honored.  A  note  referring  to  Cook, 
printed  in  the  "Edwards  Papers,"  written  apparently  by  Ninian  W.  Edwards,  the 
son  of  the  first  territorial  governor  of  Illinois,  contains  this  suggestion:  "In  respect 
of  his  high  character,  his  great  ability,  his  honorable  name,  and  of  the  inestimable 
service  he  rendered  to  our  great  commonwealth,  the  County  of  Cook  should  erect 
a  monument  to  his  memory." 

Vol.  1—12 


178  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

POPE    AND    COOK A    PARALLEL 

In  connection  with  the  sketch  of  Daniel  Pope  Cook,  as  given  above,  the  reader 
will  be  able  to  obtain  a  still  clearer  impression  of  the  man  and  his  career,  if  a  refer- 
ence is  made  in  this  place  to  Nathaniel  Pope,  a  contemporary  of  Cook.  We  have 
already  give  some  space  to  a  description  of  Pope's  vital  share  in  shaping  the  destiny 
of  the  state  in  establishing  its  northern  boundary  when  the  Enabling  Act,  pre- 
liminary to  the  admission  of  Illinois  as  a  state  in  the  Union,  was  before  Congress 
in  April,  1818.  There  were  so  many  passages  in  the  careers  of  both  Pope  and 
Cook  that  were  similar,  that  it  will  be  instructive  to  make  a  brief  review  of  their 
personal  histories  and  achievements  in  the  form  of  a  parallel. 

Pope  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1784.  Cook  was  also  born  in  Kentucky,  in  1795. 
Pope  was  the  uncle  of  Cook.  Pope  came  to  Illinois  Territory  in  1 809 ;  Cook,  eleven 
years  his  junior,  -came  in  1815.  Both  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law  at  Kas- 
kaskia,  and  both  entered  the  political  field.  Pope  was  elected  a  delegate  to  Con- 
gress from  the  Territory  of  Illinois  in  1816,  and  at  the  same  time  Cook  was  ap- 
pointed a  judge  in  the  Western  Circuit.  Soon  after  the  state  was  admitted  in  1818, 
Pope  was  appointed  a  United  States  District  judge  in  the  new  state.  Cook  re- 
signed his  office  as  judge  and  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1820;  thus  they  prac- 
tically exchanged  places  with  each  other.  Both  men  had  sons  who  bore  the  first 
name  of  John.  John  Pope  became  a  general  in  the  Civil  War,  and  John  Cook  also 
attained  to  the  same  rank.  Both  Pope  and  Cook  have  counties  in  Illinois  named  in 
their  honor. 

The  services  rendered  to  the  state  by  Nathaniel  Pope  were  of  the  first  order  of 
importance,  for,  had  it  not  been  that  he  seized  the  opportune  moment  when  the 
enabling  act  was  before  Congress,  the  northern  boundary  line  of  the  state  would 
have  been  sixty-one  miles  south  of  where  it  is  at  present,  the  possible  results  of 
which  have  been  already  set  forth  in  a  previous  chapter.  This  act  alone  will 
render  his  name  forever  illustrious  in  the  annals  of  Illinois. 

The  services  rendered  to  the  state  by  Daniel  P.  Cook  consisted  of  two   con- 
spicuous  acts   in  his  public  life.      He  strenuously    opposed   the   movement,   which 
in  182-1  almost  became  successful,  to  make  Illinois  a  slave  state.     Governor  Edward 
Coles  led  the  forces  in  opposition  to  this  movement,  and  with  the  effective  aid  of 
Cook  and  others  was  able  to  defeat  the  pro-slavery  party.     Cook's  eloquence  and 
untiring  devotion  to   the  cause  of   freedom   proved   most   effective  in  the   struggle,  j 
He  was  the  ablest  man  on  the  stump   against  the  proposal  to  introduce  slavery  i 
into   Illinois,   and,   in   the  words   of   an   older   historian,    "was   more  than   a  match 
for  any  speaker  that  could  be  brought  against  him." 

Cook  was  likewise  chiefly  instrumental  in  securing  the  grant  by  Congress  in 
1827,  of  the  alternate  sections  of  public  lands,  contained  within  a  strip  ten  miles 
wide,  along  the  line  of  the  proposed  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  in  aid  of  its 
construction.  This  made  possible  the  building  of  that  canal,  which  without  that  aid 
the  State  of  Illinois  could  not  have  undertaken  alone. 

A    GLIMPSE    OF    CHICAGO    IN    1835     . 

An  interesting  sketch  of   Chicago   in   the   years    1835   and   1836,   is  given   in   a] 
narrative   of  Andrew   J.    Vieau,   printed   in  the  Wisconsin    Historical   Collections.] 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  179 

Vieau,  then  a  youth  of  seventeen,  came  to  Chicago  from  Milwaukee  in  1835,  and 
was  employed  as  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  Medore  Beaubien.  His  father  was  Jacques 
Vieau,  an  old  time  French  voyageur,  who  had  entered  into  the  Indian  trade  and  had 
been  successful.  This  was  probably  the  man  to  whom  Ouilmette  refers  in  his 
letter  to  John  H.  Kinzie,  a  copy  of  which  is  printed  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

The  language  of  the  narrative  is  largely  that  of  the  editor  of  the  volume  in 
which  it  is  published,  Mr.  R.  G.  Thwaites.  In  1887  Mr.  Thwaites  made  notes  of 
an  interview  with  Andrew  J.  Vieau,  then  in  his  seventieth  year,  at  his  home  at  Fort 
Howard,  Wisconsin.  "Chicago  was  very  small  then,"  said  Vieau  in  his  narrative. 
"The  principal  store  was  kept  by  Oliver  Newberry  and  George  W.  Dole,  on  South 
Water  street,  corner  of  Dearborn.  Beaubien's  store  occupied  the  opposite  corner. 
Major  John  Greene  was  commandant  at  Fort  Dearborn,  with  perhaps  one  company 
of  soldiers.  General  Hugh  Brady's  son  was  sutler.  J.  B.  Beaubien,  father  of  my 
employer,  lived  in  the  old  American  Fur  Company's  post,  south  of  the  fort  on  the 
lake  shore. 

"From  a  half  to  three-quarters  of  a  mile  further  along  the  lake  shore,  was 
Colonel  Thomas  J.  V.  Owen,  who  was  Indian  agent  and  lived  in  an  old 

log  house  which  served  as  the  agency  building.  Walter  Kimball  and  —  Porter 

were  on  South  Water  street,  three  or  four  lots  west  of  the  Dearborn  street  crossing. 
Peter  Pruyne  kept  a  drug  store  next  door  to  Kimball  and  Porter.  Another  man 
named  Kimball  had  a  store  further  on.  Boilvin  and  Le  Beau  had  quite  a  large 
confectionery  establishment,  corner  of  Clark  and  South  Water  streets. 

"Among  the  smaller  shops,  I  remember:  Peter  Cohen,  clothing  and  dry  goods, 
two  doors  east  of  Newberry  and  Dole;  James  Mulford,  jeweler,  close  to  us  on  the 
same  side.  The  Tremont  House  was  the  only  hotel.  There  were,  perhaps,  from 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  buildings  in  Chicago,  shops 
and  all,  at  the  time  of  whicli  I  speak.  They  were  mostly  unpainted  and  there  was 
certainly  no  promise  of  the  place  ever  amounting  to  anything.  On  the  streets,  mud 
was  knee-deep ;  and  wagons  had  often  to  be  lifted  out  of  the  mire  with  handspikes. 
I  am  sure  that  nearly  every  inhabitant  of  the  place  would  have  smiled  incredulously 
if  any  one  had  prophesied  that  here  was  to  be  the  great  city  of  the  west. 

"Among  the  people  there  at  that  time  were  the  Kinzies,  the  Gordons,  Hubbards, 
and  Shermans.  But  I  was  so  young  that  I  did  not  mingle  with  people  generally, 
and  became  acquainted  only  with  those  among  whom  I  was  thrown  in  a  business 
way."  z* 

NARRATIVE    OF   PETER   VIEAU 

The  narrative  of  Peter  Vieau,  a  younger  brother  of  Andrew,  who,  as  we  have 
seen,  spent  a  year  or  more  in  Chicago  in  1835  and  1836,  gives  some  interesting 
episodes  of  history  connected  with  their  father's  trading  operations  among  the  In- 
dians. The  elder  Vieau  was  in  Chicago  when  the  large  payments  made  to  the  In- 
dians under  the  treaty  of  1833  were  going  on. 

"My  father  went  there,"  relates  Peter,  "with  a  lot  of  goods,  and  to  present  some 
claims:  for  the  Indians  nearly  always  bought  on  credit,  and  were  ever  owing  a 
great  deal  to  the  traders — claims  which  could  only  be  collected  at  the  time  of  the 
government  payments,  when  money  was  plenty. 

34  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XI,  p.  228. 


180  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

"One  afternoon  the  Indians  were  having  council.  While  it  was  in  progress 
there  swaggered  into  father's  shanty,  Sanguanauneebee  (sour  water),  a  Pottawat- 
tomie  village  chief  from  St.  Joseph's  River.  He  was  rightly  named,  for  he  had  a 
sour  temper.  Father  had  a  big  keg  of  tobacco  in  carets  (plugs).  The  chief  took 
five  or  six  carets  (six  or  seven  pounds),  and  began  to  walk  off  with  them. 

"Father:    'What  are  you  going  to  do  with  that?' 

"Chief:    'I  want  to  use  it.' 

"Father:     'It  doesn't  belong  to  you.' 

"Chief:    'What  of  that?     I  am  a  chief,  and  can  do  as  I  please.' 

"Father:    'You  can,  can  you?' 

"The  chief  pulled  a  long  bowie  knife,  but  father  made  a  spring,  caught  the  fel- 
low by  his  neck  and  his  breechclout,  and  threw  him  out,  the  plugs  of  tobacco  scat- 
tering in  all  directions. 

"The  intruder  sneaked  off  into  the  circle  of  the  council,  which  was  being  held 
in  front  of  the  shanty,  and  father  followed  him  a  little  way.  Chepoi  (the  corpse), 
a  headman  of  the  Pottawattomies, — a  frightful  looking  fellow,  with  his  nose  cut 
off  clear  to  the  bridge, — now  got  up,  and  shaking  his  finger  at  father,  cried:  'Jacques 
Vieau,  we  have  always  heard  you  were  a  popular  man,  a  benefactor  of  the  Indians, 
feeding  them  when  hungry ;  but  today  you  have  lost  all,  you  have  spoiled  yourself, 
by  doing  that  which  you  have  just  now  done  to  our  noble  chief,  Sanguanauneebee. 
Never  again  will  you  have  the  favor  of  the  Indians.' 

"Father:    'Who  are  you,  there,  that  is  talking  with  such  authority?' 

"Speaker:     'I  am  the  head  councilman  of  the  St.  Joseph  band.' 

"Father:  'If  I  were  such  a  looking  man  as  you  are,  Chepoi,  I  should  consider 
that  the  name  you  bear  became  me  well.  You,  who  want  to  show  so  much  authority, 
go  where  you  lost  your  nose,  and  find  it;  then  you  will  be  a  fit  subject  to  come  here 
to  Chicago  and  make  such  fine  speeches.' 

"It  required  bravery  and  assurance  to  talk  like  this  to  the  leader  of  a  band  of 
four  hundred  Indians.  But  father,  who  spoke  Pottawattomie  like  one  of  them,  of 
course  knew  his  ground.  The  whole  ring  of  savages,  of  whom  there  were  at  least 
a  thousand  in  the  hearing  of  his  voice,  burst  out  in  vociferous  applause.  Chepoi, 
glaring  fiercely  at  the  impudent  trader,  sat  down  in  chagrin."  : 

A  tragic  affair  took  place  between  two  young  Indians  one  day,  which  is  described 
by  Peter  Vieau  as  follows: 

"There  were,  I  think,  at  this  Chicago  payment,  five  or  six  thousand  savages  of 
different  tribes.  It  had  much  the  appearance  of  a  fair.  A  curious  episode  now  oc- 
curred. There  were  at  this  gathering  two  young  men  who  were  the  best  of  friends 
as  well  as  being  two  of  the  finest-looking  Indians  I  ever  saw.  One  was  the  son 
of  Sanguanauneebee;  the  other,  the  son  of  another  chief,  Seebwasen  (cornstalk) 
Both  were  courting  the  same  young  squaw,  the  daughter  of  Wampum,  a  Chippewa 
chief  living  at  Sheboygan.  They  had  proposed  to  fight  a  duel  to  decide  who  should 
have  the  girl.  She  had  agreed  to  marry  one  of  them  at  this  payment,  but  did  not 
care  who. 

"This  was  the  question  being  discussed  at  the  council  and  it  had  been  decided 

35  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections.    Vol.  XV,  p.  460. 


From  "Wan-Bun,"  Caxton  edition 


JOHX   H.   KIXZIE 

From  a  copy  of  an  oil  portrait  painted 
by  G.  P.  A.  Healy,  the  copy  being  in  pos- 
session of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society. 


JULIETTE   A.   KIXZIE 

From  an  oil  portrait  by  G.  r.  A.  Healy, 
painted  in   1853. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  181 

that  the  young  fellows  should  fight  to  the  death,  the  survivor  to  take  the  girl.  The 
boys  were  brought  before  the  wise  men,  and  informed  of  the  conclusion  reached. 

"Then  their  ponies  were  brought,  one  a  black,  the  other  a  gray.  The  duelists 
and  their  saddles  were  decked  with  beads,  silver  brooches,  ribbons,  and  other  orna- 
ments such  as  the  traders  bartered  with  the  Indians;  and  altogether  it  was  like 
one  of  those  ancient  tournaments  in  France,  that  I  have  read  of  in  the  old  his- 
tories. First,  the  ponies  were  driven  side  by  side  one  or  two  times  in  a  circle  around 
the  council  place,  in  front  of  the  store.  Then,  together,  the  duelists  and  their  friends 
started  out  for  the  place  of  encounter,  swimming  their  horses  across  the  river,  and 
drew  up  on  an  open  spot  on  the  north  side.  Crude  flags  were  hung  on  poles,  which 
were  stuck  up  in  the  sand  roundabout,  an  Indian  sign  that  a  fight  to  the  death  was 
in  progress.  Indian  guards  were  placed,  to  clear  a  ring  of  two  or  three  hundred 
yards:  heading  these  guards,  and  acting  as  seconds,  were  Chepoi  and  Seebwasen. 
A  little  outside  the  ring,  all  alone,  stood  the  girl  being  fought  for,  apparently  indif- 
ferent, her  arms  akimbo.  The  time  was  an  hour  before  sundown,  and  there  were 
present  four  or  five  hundred  whites  and  Indians.  I  was  then  in  Green  Bay,  at 
school;  but  my  father  and  Juneau,  who  were  there  and  saw  everything,  often  de- 
scribed it  to  us  children. 

"One  of  the  duelists  wheeled  to  the  right,  the  other  to  the  left.  Then  they 
brought  their  horses  sideways  close  together,  head  to  tail,  tail  to  head.  Either  Che- 
poi or  Seebwasen  cried,  in  the  Pottawattomie  tongue,  'Time  is  up !  Ready !' 

"At  this  each  fighter  instantly  drew  his  green-handled  bowie,  fully  twenty  inches 
long.  As  they  rushed  together,  there  was  a  frightful  hubbub  among  the  spectators, 
Juneau  fainted,  so  did  many  others.  The  Indian  women  rent  the  air  with  their 
cries.  Such  thrusts  as  those  fellows  gave  each  other  in  the  back!  The  blood 
spurted  at  each  blow.  Finally  Sanguanauneebee's  boy  fell  over  backwards,  his 
arm  raised  for  a  blow,  but  with  the  knife  of  the  other  in  his  spine.  A  moment  later, 
Seebwasen's  son  cried  out  in  his  death  agony,  and  also  fell  backwards.  Both  died 
almost  simultaneously.  The  horses  stood  stock  still.  The  girl  now  with  no  lover 
left,  wrung  her  hands  in  frenzy."  38 

SECOND     GENERATION     OF     THE     KINZIE     FAMILY 

John  Harris  Kinzie,  son  of  John  and  Eleanor  (Lytle)  McKillip  Kinzie,  was 
scarcely  one  year  old  when  his  father  came  to  Chicago  in  the  spring  of  1804.37 
Here  he  lived  during  his  boyhood;  he  was  nine  years  old  at  the  time  of  the  mas- 
sacre in  1812;  during  the  succeeding  four  years  the  family  remained  in  Detroit, 
where  they  had  sought  refuge;  he  returned  with  the  family  to  Chicago  in  1816,  and 
in  1818  was  sent  to  Mackinac  to  be  apprenticed  to  the  American  Fur  Company. 
Young  Kinzie  was  carefully  trained  in  the  conduct  of  the  fur  trade,  then  the  prin- 
cipal commercial  interest  in  the  Northwest.  In  1824  he  was  sent  to  Prairie  du 
Chien,  where  he  learned  the  Winnebago  language,  of  which  he  constructed  a  gram- 
mar. Two  years  later  he  became  private  secretary  to  Governor  Lewis  Cass,  whom 
he  assisted  in  making  numerous  treaties  with  the  Indian  tribes.  His  general  pro- 
ficiency in  the  languages  of  the  aborigines  especially  qualified  him  for  the  appoint- 

30  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XV,  p.  462. 
37Wau-Bun    (Caxton   Ed.),   p.   16. 


182  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

ment,  which  he  received  in  1829,  as  Indian  agent  to  the  Winnebagoes  in  Wisconsin. 
He  was  called  "Colonel"  by  courtesy,  because  of  his  position  as  Indian  agent. 

JULIETTE     A.     KINZIE 

In  1830,  John  H.  Kinzie  was  married  to  Juliette  Augusta  Magill,  at  Middle- 
town,  Connecticut,  in  which  place  she  was  born  on  llth  of  September,  1806.  Her 
father  was  a  prominent  banker  of  that  city,  and  her  mother's  ancestors  were  men 
and  women  prominent  in  the  early  history  of  New  England.  It  was  from  such  an 
ancestry  that  Juliette  Magill  inherited  the  courage,  strong  good  sense,  brilliant  wit, 
and  personal  attractiveness  for  which  she  became  noted,  and  which  made  her  a 
social  power  in  Chicago  throughout  her  life. 

"Her  early  life,"  says  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Eleanor  Kinzie  Gordon,  in  a  note  to 
an  edition  of  "Wau-Bun,"  published  by  Rand,  McNally  and  Company,  In  1901, 
"was  spent  in  her  native  town,  where  her  education,  which  was  thorough,  was  con- 
ducted under  the  supervision  of  her  mother,  a  woman  of  remarkable  mental  powers 
and  great  cultivation,  while  her  course  of  reading  was  directed  by  her  uncle,  Dr. 
Alexander  Wolcott,  Jr.  It  was  chiefly  to  the  wise  judgment  and  careful  training 
of  this  relative  that  Juliette  Magill  owed  the  uncommon  scope  of  her  knowledge  of 
books  and  her  fine  literary  taste. 

"At  the  age  of  fifteen,  she  was  sent  to  a  boarding  school  at  New  Haven,  and 
from  thence  to  Miss  Willard's  seminary  in  Troy,  New  York."  The  Magill  family 
later  removed  to  Fishkill,  where  Juliette  continued  her  studies  and  also  prepared 
two  of  her  brothers  for  college.  She  was  a  good  Latin  scholar,  spoke  French  flu- 
ently, and  read  Spanish  and  Italian  with  ease.  In  later  years,  while  living  in 
Chicago,  she  took  up  German,  which  she  read,  wrote  and  spoke  with  facility.  She 
was  an  excellent  musician,  playing  both  the  piano  and  organ,  and  she  also  painted 
in  water  colors,  and  sketched  from  nature  rapidly  and  accurately.  All  the  illus- 
trations in  the  first  edition  of  "Wau-Bun"  are  from  sketches  she  made  on  the  spot.38 

"Like  all  well-bred  and  carefully  trained  New  England  girls,  she  was  an  ac- 
complished needlewoman,  and  could  cut  out  and  make  a  suit  of  gentleman's  clothes 
as  well  as  any  tailor,  while  her  embroidery  was  as  exquisite  as  that  of  the  French 
nuns  from  whom  she  learned  the  art.  In  combination  with  these  accomplishments 
she  was  an  admirable  housekeeper.  .  .  as  all  who  enjoyed  her  conver- 
sation and  hospitality  could  testify."  38  She  was  possessed  of  a  brave  and  indomit- 
able spirit,  and  enjoyed  a  wide  and  intimate  familiarity  with  the  forms  and  man- 
ners of  good  society,  and  had  visited  many  cities  in  the  East. 

It  was  indeed  a  fortunate  event  for  John  Harris  Kinzie,  a  man  whose  life  had 
so  far  been  spent  on  the  frontier,  to  find  this  sensible  and  accomplished  woman  for 
a  wife. 

"WAU-BUN" 

Mrs.  Kinzie  afterwards  became  the  author  of  the  "Wau-Bun,"  the  work  we  have 
so  often  referred  to,  a  work  consisting  of  sketches  and  narratives  concerning  the 
"Early  Day"  of  the  Northwest.  The  first  edition  of  this  book,  published  in  1856, 

»s Wau-Bun    (Rand  McNally,  Ed.  1901,  note). 
»•  Ibid. 


By  courtesy  of  Mrs.  Gordon 


XKLLY  KIXZIE.  XOW  MRS.  W.  W.  GORDOX 
From  an  oil  portrait  painted  by  G.  P.  A.  Healj- 


MRS.  W.  W.  GORDON,  NEE  NELLY  KINZIE 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  .       183 

is  now  out  of  print,  though  a  reprint  issued  in  later  years  gives  the  full  text  of  the 
work.  An  edition  was  published  by  the  Caxton  Club  of  Chicago  in  1901,  edited  by 
Mr.  R.  G.  Thwaites  of  the  State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin,  and  limited  to 
259  copies.  In  his  introduction,  Mr.  Thwaites  says  of  Mrs.  Kinzie  and  her  book: 
"Upon  her  pages  we  seem  to  see  and  feel  the  life  at  the  frontier  military  stockades, 
to  understand  intimately  the  social  and  economic  relations  between  the  savages  and 
the  government  officials  set  over  them,  to  get  at  the  heart  of  things  within  the  bor- 
der country  of  her  day.  It  is  the  relation  of  a  cultivated  eye-witness,  a  woman  of 
the  world,  who  appreciates  that  what  she  depicts  is  but  a  passing  phase  of  history, 
and  deserves  preservation  for  the  enlightenment  of  posterity."  Taking  "Wau-Bun" 
by  and  large,  continues  Mr.  Thwaites,  "it  may  safely  be  said  that  to  students  of 
the  history  of  the  Middle  West,  •  particularly  of  Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  Mrs.  Kin- 
zie has  rendered  a  service  of  growing  value,  and  of  its  kind  practically  unique." 

Some  idea  of  the  hardships  of  existence  in  this  early  time  may  be  gathered 
from  Mrs.  Kinzie's  interesting  account  of  a  journey  made  by  her  in  1833,  with  her 
husband  from  Fort  Winnebago  to  Chicago.  The  party  were  mounted  and  had  ar- 
rived at  the  house  of  Colonel  William  S.  Hamilton,  a  son  of  Alexander  Hamilton, 
who  had  settled  some  years  before  in  the  lead  mining  region.  One  of  the  miners 
who  lived  on  the  place  with  his  wife  and  child  remarked  to  Mrs.  Kinzie,  "I  pity 
a  body  when  I  see  them  making  such  an  awful  mistake  as  to  come  out  this  way,  for 
comfort  never  touched  this  western  country." 

Later  in  the  course  of  the  journey  the  party  arrived  at  the  Fox  River  towards 
evening  on  a  cold  March  day.  They  found  two  Indian  women  with  a  small  canoe, 
and  while  the  men  set  about  unpacking  the  horses,  Mrs.  Kinzie  was  paddled  across 
the  river.  "The  old  woman  immediately  returned,"  she  writes,  "leaving  the  younger 
one  with  me  for  company.  I  seated  myself  on  the  fallen  trunk  of  a  tree,  in  the 
midst  of  the  snow,  and  looked  across  the  dark  waters.  I  am  not  ashamed  to  con- 
fess my  weakness- — for  the  first  time  on  my  journey  I  shed  tears.  It  was  neither 
hunger,  nor  fear,  nor  cold  which  extorted  them  from  me.  It  was  the  utter  desola- 
tion of  spirit,  the  sickness  of  heart  which  'hope  deferred'  ever  occasions,  and  which 
of  all  evils  is  the  hardest  to  bear.  The  poor  little  squaw  looked  into  my  face  with 
a  wondering  and  sympathizing  expression.  Probably  she  was  speculating  in  her 
own  mind  what  a  person  who  rode  so  fine  a  horse,  and  wore  so  comfortable  a  broad- 
cloth dress,  could  have  to  cry  about.  I  pointed  to  a  seat  beside  me  on  the  log,  but 
she  preferred  standing  and  gazing  at  me,  with  the  same  pitying  expression.  Pres- 
ently she  was  joined  by  a  young  companion,  and  after  a  short  chattering,  of  which 
I  was  evidently  the  subject,  they  both  trotted  off  into  the  woods,  and  left  me  to 
my  solitary  reflections.  'What  would  my  friends  at  the  East  think,'  said  I  to  my- 
self, 'if  they  could  see  me  now?  What  would  poor  old  Mrs.  Welsh  say?  She  who 
warned  me  that  if  1  came  away  so  far  to  the  West,  I  should  break  my  heart?' '' 

The  attractive  personality  of  the  talented  author  of  "Wau-Bun"  engages  our 
attention  to  a  degree,  and  when  we  consider  the  rapid  rise  and  development  of  our 
city,  we  must  regard  it  as  a  fortunate  circumstance  that  one  so  gifted  and  cultured 
should  have  made  such  a  deep  impress  upon  its  early  life;  that,  amidst  a  maelstrom 
of  material  interests,  there  was  kept  afloat  in  the  mad  waters  the  frail  bark  of  an 
enlightened  and  cultivated  company  which  has  eventually  arrived  in  a  safe  harbor. 
The  higher  interests  of  the  community  have  survived  the  period  of  material  pros- 


184  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

perity  and  adversity,  and,  though  these  interests  have  been  often  lost  sight  of  in 
the  wild  whirl  of  its  development  for  long  spaces  in  our  annals,  the  city  has  won 
a  high  position  in  art,  literature,  science  and  good  society,  among  those  of  the  nation. 

MRS.    NELLY    KINZIE    GORDON 

A  daughter  of  John  Harris  Kinzie  is  now  living  at  Savannah,  Georgia,  the  wife 
of  General  W.  W.  Gordon.  She  was  born  in  Chicago,  June  18th,  1835,  and  in  a 
letter  to  the  author  of  this  history,  under  date  of  December  3,  1909,  she  says  that 
she  is  "older  than  Chicago  itself,  as  it  was  not  incorporated  as  a  city  till  after  T 
was  born."  She  refers  to  Chicago  as  her  "beloved  native  city,  which,  after  fifty- 
two  years'  absence,  I  still  regard  as  home."  In  this  letter  she  writes  with  most 
charming  naivete,  "You  will  recognize,  that  being  in  my  seventy-fifth  year,  I  can 
look  back  a  great  many  years.  I  have  hardly  a  gray  hair,  I  read  without  glasses, 
I  have  my  own  good  solid  teeth,  my  hearing  is  perfect,  and  so  is  my  memory." 

Mrs.  Nelly  Kinzie  Gordon  is  living  at  Savannah,  and  has  in  recent  years  made 
occasional  visits  to  this  city.  In  1893  she  came  as  the  guest  of  the  World's  Colum- 
bian Exposition  directory;  and  in  September,  1903,  she  came  to  attend  the  cele- 
bration of  the  centennial  anniversary  of  Chicago.  Her  husband,  William  W. 
Gordon,  was  a  captain  of  cavalry  in  the  Confederate  army  during  the  Civil  War, 
and  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish-American  war  he  received  the  commission  of  brig- 
adier-general from  President  McKinley.  As  one  of  the  incidents  of  that  war  it  is 
related  that  Mrs.  Gordon  was  in  Florida  when  a  train  of  sick  and  disabled  soldiers 
passed  on  its  way  to  the  North.  She  at  once  assumed  charge  of  the  train,  and  at 
every  station  bought  milk,  fruit  and  delicacies  for  the  use  of  the  soldier  boys,  and 
when  Savannah  was  reached  she  had  those  who  were  not  expected  to  survive  re- 
moved to  her  own  home  on  Oglethorpe  avenue,  and  the  family  mansion  for  days 
served  as  a  private  hospital. 

When  Mrs.  Gordon  visited  Chicago  in  1903,  she  was  accompanied  by  her  hus- 
band, and  while  here  Mrs.  Gordon  related  many  amusing  and  interesting  incidents 
of  the  early  days,  some  of  which  were  printed  in  the  papers.  These  incidents  will 
find  a  place  in  a  later  portion  of  this  history. 


CHAPTER  X 

•  i 

THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR 

BLACK     HAWK     WAR EVENTS     LEADING     TO     WAR CAMPAIGN     OF      1831 BLACK     HAWK 

VIOLATES    TREATY CAMPAIGN     OF     1832 STILLMAN*S     DEFEAT PREPARATIONS     FOR 

WAR INCIDENTS    OF    THE    WAR WAR    CARRIED    INTO    WISCONSIN GENERAL    HENRY 

PURSUES   BLACK   HAWK FLIGHT  AND    CAPTURE    OF   BLACK    HAWK SUMMARY  OF   THE 

WAR WAR    EXCITEMENT    AT    CHICAGO COLONEL    OWEN'S    ACTION EXPERIENCES    OF 

FUGITIVES CHOLERA      PESTILENCE GENERAL      SCOTT*S     DIFFICULTIES ABATEMENT 

OF  THE   CHOLERA HISTORIES   OF   THE   SAUK   WAR STEVEN'S   HISTORY BLACK   HAWK 

AT    WASHINGTON. 

THE    BLACK    HAWK    WAR 

HE  wars  of  the  republic  have,  without  exception,  deeply  affected  the  life 
and  history  of  Chicago.  As  we  have  seen,  a  battle  of  the  War  of  Inde- 
pendence was  fought  in  1780  on  Chicago  territory,  which,  while  a  com- 
paratively trifling  affair  from  a  military  point  of  view,  was  serious  enough 
for  Chicago,  as  the  sole  inhabitant  which  it  then  possessed,  old  Pointe 
de  Saible,  was  carried  off  by  the  British  a  captive  to  Mackinac. 

The  War  of  1812  occasioned  the  awful  calamity  of  the  massacre  of  most  of  the 
troops  of  the  garrison  at  Fort  Dearborn  and  of  the  dwellers  of  the  place,  a  few 
only  escaping,  and  but  one,  Antoine  Ouilmette,  remaining  on  the  spot.  At  a  later 
period  the  Winnebago  War  stirred  the  little  community  to  its  depths,  which,  how- 
ever, happily  ended  without  bloodshed  or  damage. 

Fort  Dearborn,  a  name  interchangeable  with  that  of  Chicago  during  the  first 
three  decades  of  the  last  century,  had  experienced  vicissitudes  of  a  strange  and 
thrilling  character.  Established  in  1803,  it  was  abandoned  and  burnt  at  the  time 
of  the  massacre.  Rebuilt  in  1816,  it  was  reoccupied  by  a  garrison  until  1823,  when 
it  was  evacuated  as  no  longer  necessary  for  frontier  defensive  purposes.  Warned 
by  threatening  Indian  troubles,  however,  the  government  restored  the  garrison  on 
October  3,  1828;  but  on  May  20th,  1831,  it  was  again  evacuated. 

Indian  alarms  again  called  the  attention  of  the  government  to  the  need  of  a 
garrison  at  Fort  Dearborn,  and  on  February  23d,  1832,  the  general  of  the  army, 
Alexander  Macomb,  issued  an  order  transferring  troops  from  Fort  Niagara  to  Fort 
Dearborn.  This  force  was  under  command  of  Major  William  Whistler,  a  son  of 
Captain  John  Whistler,  the  builder  of  the  first  Fort  Dearborn  in  1803.  Major 
Whistler,  however,  did  not  arrive  until  June  17th,  1832,  when  the  Black  Hawk 
War  had  arrived  at  its  most  acute  stage. 

The  following  concise  and  scholarly  narrative  of  the  Black  Hawk  War  in  north- 
ern Illinois  and  southern  Wisconsin  was  prepared  by  Professor  George  L.  Scher- 

185 


186  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

ger  of  the  Armour  Institute,  and  delivered  as  a  lecture  before  the  Evanston  Historical 
Society  on  November  22d,  1902;  and  is  here  inserted  with  Professor  Scherger's 
permission,  with  some  changes  in  the  verbiage  as  seemed  to  be  required. 

EVENTS   LEADING   TO   THE    BLACK    HAWK   WAR 

The  Black  Hawk  War  is  not  to  be  numbered  among  the  great  campaigns  of  his- 
tory. The  officers  who  served  in  this  war  are  not  to  be  placed  alongside  of  Na- 
poleon, Caesar  or  Hannibal.  No  fierce  battles  such  as  those  of  Marathon  or 
Waterloo  took  place.  In  fact,  the  incidents  of  the  war  in  general  scarcely  rise 
above  the  dignity  of  the  skirmishes  and  forays  common  along  the  frontier  during 
the  pioneer  period.  Yet  the  Black  Hawk  War  is  one  of  the  most  important  events 
in  the  history  of  the  Northwest.  Numerous  descriptions  of  this  campaign  have  ap- 
peared, but  many  of  the  contemporary  accounts  are  untrustworthy  and  inaccurate, 
for  they  were  intended  chiefly  as  electioneering  documents  to  sound  the  praises  of 
those  who  were  seeking  office  and  posed  as  heroes  who  had  delivered  their  country 
from  great  perils.  The  real  results  of  the  war  are  important  enough,  however,  as 
are  also  the  events  of  sufficient  interest  to  merit  our  investigation  of  the  chief  in- 
cidents. 

On  November  3d,  1804,  the  United  States  government  purchased  from  the  Sac 
and  Fox  Indians  fifty  million  acres  of  land  for  an  annuity  of  one  thousand  dollars. 
This  tract  comprised  the  eastern  third  of  the  present  state  of  Missouri,  and  the 
land  between  the  Wisconsin  river  on  the  north,  the  Fox  river  on  the  east,  the  Illi- 
nois on  the  southeast,  and  the  Mississippi  on  the  west.  Clause  seven  of  the  treaty 
stated  that  the  Indians  might  occupy  the  land  until  the  United  States  government 
granted  it  to  individuals.  The  treaty  was  negotiated  by  General  William  Henry 
Harrison  at  St.  Louis.  In  1815  this  treaty  had  been  confirmed  by  the  Sac  and 
Fox  nation. 

The  chief  village  of  the  Sacs,  named  Saukenuk,  lay  on  the  north  side  of  Rock 
river,  three  miles  above  its  mouth,  and  the  same  distance  south  of  Rock  Island  on 
the  Mississippi,  in  the  midst  of  a  region  whose  soil  is  very  productive.  About  five 
hundred  Indian  families  lived  in  this  valley,  and  there  were  few  Indian  settlements 
so  large  as  this.  The  chief  cemetery  of  the  Sacs  being  located  here,  the  interests 
and  affections  of  the  entire  tribe  centered  around  this  spot,  where  about  three  thou- 
sand acres  of  land  were  in  a  state  of  cultivation.  Of  these  farms  the  Sacs  were 
very  proud. 

PERSONALITY   OF    BLACK   HAWK 

Black  Hawk,  or  Black  Sparrow  Hawk,  was  born  at  the  Sac  village  in  1767.  He 
was  restless  and  ambitious,  though  lacking  first  rate  capacity.  He  was  a  demagogue, 
jealous  of  the  other  chiefs,  and  hating  the  Americans.  His  mind  was  slow  and  plod- 
ding, and  he  could  not  compare  in  ability  to  such  great  Indian  characters  as  Pontiac, 
Brant  and  Tecumseh.  In  person  he  was  large  and  well  developed,  and  he  had  been 
a  warrior  since  the  age  of  fifteen.  His  prime  ambition  was  to  a  great  warrior,  and 
it  was  a  boast  of  his  that  the  number  of  the  enemy  he  had  killed  surpassed  belief. 

Black  Hawk  frequently  visited  the  English  at  Maiden ;  and  on  these  occasions 
they  flattered  his  vanity.  It  had  been  the  policy  of  the  English  since  the  war  of 
1812  to  incite  the  Indians  of  the  Northwest  against  the  Americans.  Black  Hawk 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  187 

had  taken  part  in  the  war  of  1812,  fighting  on  the  British  side  as  the  leader  of  "the 
British  Band/'  although  Keokuk,  the  principal  chief  of  the  tribe,  and  the  rival  of 
Black  Hawk,  was  friendly  to  the  United  States  government.  Black  Hawk  would 
take.no  gifts  from  the  United  States,  but  often  accepted  presents  from  the  English. 
After  the  war  of  1812,  the  relations  between  the  Indians  and  Americans  contin- 
ued quite  friendly  until  1830.  In  that  year  Keokuk  ceded  definitely  to  the  United 
States  all  the  land  of  his  tribe  east  of  the  Mississippi.  Black  Hawk  opposed  this 
cession  most  bitterly,  and  determined  not  to  leave  the  ceded  tracts,  declaring  that 
the  treaty  of  1804  had  been  obtained  by  fraud,  and  bent  upon  using  force  if  need 
be  to  prevent  the  expulsion  of  his  party  from  their  lands.  Black  Hawk  tried  to  con- 
vince his  followers  by  maintaining  that  the  land  could  not  be  sold ;  that  the  treaties 
were  void  because  fraudulent;  and  that  the  nation  had  not  been  consulted  when  the 
treaty  was  made  in  1804, — all  of  which  statements  were  false.  Even  the  British 
authorities  advised  him  to  leave  the  village.  The  leniency  of  the  United  States  to- 
ward him,  and  its  hesitancy  in  forcing  him  to  move  westward  he  misinterpreted,  be- 
lieving that  he  would  or  could  never  be  forced  to  evacuate  these  lands.  Moreover, 
the  Sacs  had  their  just  grievances.  Since  1823  squatters,  attracted  by  the  news  of 
the  fertility  of  the  soil,  had  gradually  enqroached  upon  their  lands.  Though  this 
section  had  not  yet  been  surveyed,  and  there  was  still  a  large  extent  of  unsettled 
territory  to  the  east;  this  territory  was  seized  by  white  settlers  without  a  shadow 
of  right.  The  white  settlers  even  encroached  upon  the  village  of  the  Sacs,  and, 
taking  advantage  of  the  absence  of  the  tribe  upon  their  annual  hunts,  began  to  drive 
off  the  squaws  and  children  of  the  Indians  and  fence  in  their  cornfields. 

CAMPAIGN   OF    1831 

Black  Hawk  remonstrated  in  vain.  Year  by  year  the  whites  appropriated  a 
larger  extent  of  territory.  When  the  Indians  attempted  to  regain  their  land  by  de- 
stroying the  crops  of  the  whites  and  even  attacking  and  wounding  certain  settlers, 
Governor  Reynolds  was  petitioned  to  interfere  and  prevent  the  outrages  which  the 
Indians  were  committing.  One  of  these  petitions  stated  that  "the  Indians  pasture 
their  horses  in  our  wheat  fields,  shoot  our  cattle,  and  threaten  to  burn  our  houses 
over  our  heads  if  we  do  not  leave."  Reynolds,  a  conscientious,  able  and  energetic 
man,  after  giving  the  matter  careful  consideration,  decided  that  everything  seemed 
to  show  that  the  three  hundred  Indians  at  Sac  village  intended  to  use  force  to  re- 
tain possession  of  the  country;  and,  on  May  26th,  1831,  called  on  the  militia  for 
seven  hundred  mounted  men.  The  whole  state  of  Illinois,- with  its  forty  thousand 
white  settlers,  resounded  with  the  war  clamor,  everything  being  in  bustle  and  up- 
roar. More  than  double  the  number  of  men  called  for  assembled  at  Beardstown 
early  in  June,  from  whom  were  chosen  a  brigade  consisting  of  two  regiments  and 
two  battalions,  which  were  placed  under  General  Joseph  Duncan  as  commander. 
This  small  force  was  composed  of  the  flower  of  the  state,  of  men  possessed  generally 
of  strong  sense  and  unbounded  energy.  The  men  were  intensely  bitter  towards  the 
Indians.  Eight  miles  below  the  Sac  village  General  Gaines  of  the  United  States 
regular  army  received  the  troops  into  the  national  service  and  assumed  command. 
He  appeared  before  the  Sac  village  on  the  25th  of  June,  1831.  Black  Hawk,  having 
less  than  three  hundred  men  at  his  command,  left  the  place  during  the  night,  with- 


188  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

drawing  to  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi.  The  town  was  then  burnedj  after  which 
Black  Hawk  was  brought  back  to  the  headquarters  of  the  general,  where  he  signed 
a  treaty  to  remain  on  the  farther  side  of  the  Mississippi,  and  never  cross  the  river 
unless  with  the  permission  of  the  President  of  the  United  States.  Thus  terminated 
the  campaign  of  1831,  no  blood  having  been  shed  on  either  side.  Black  Hawk  and 
his  followers  passed  a  very  disagreeable  winter.  It  was  too  late  to  raise  crops  for 
their  sustenance,  and  though  food  was  dealt  out  to  them  by  the  United  States  au- 
thorities, they  suffered  greatly. 

CAMPAIGN    OF    1832. 

Black  Hawk  now  attacked  the  Menominees,  who  were  encamped  on  an  island 
opposite  Prairie  du  Chien,  to  retaliate  for  an  attack  which  had  been  made  by  that 
tribe  upon  his  followers  the  previous  year.  Out  of  twenty-eight  Menominees  all, 
except  one,  were  massacred.  The  Indian  agent,  General  Joseph  M.  Street,  demanded 
that  the  murderers  be  delivered  up.  This  was  refused.  Believing  that  the  Winne- 
bagoes  and  Pottawattomies  would  support  him,  Black  Hawk  resolved  to  recapture 
the  old  village.  He  therefore  violated  the  treaty  he  had  entered  into  and  crossed  the 
Mississippi,  April  6th,  1832,  marching  up  the  Rock  river.  His  pretext  was  that  he 
intended  to  visit  his  Winnebago  friends  in  Wisconsin,  and  to  plant  corn  in  their 
country.  He  disregarded  the  warnings  of  General  Atkinson  at  Fort  Armstrong,  and 
finally  reached  Dixon's  Ferry,  where  he  encamped  with  a  force  including  about  five 
hundred  men. 

Northern  Illinois  at  this  point  possessed  very  few  settlers.  The  United  States 
government  had  not  yet  surveyed  the  Sac  and  Fox  lands ;  there  were  a  few  posts 
in  the  lead  region  about  Galena ;  Galena  and  Peoria  were  connected  by  a  coach 
road  opened  in  1827,  over  which  the  mail  traveled  daily,  and  along  which  a  few 
taverns  had  been  established.  Galena  was  connected  by  an  Indian  trail  with  Chi- 
cago, whose  population  at  this  time  consisted  of  from  two  to  three  hundred  souls, 
whose  rude  huts  clustered  about  Fort  Dearborn. 

Governor  Reynolds,  hearing  of  Black  Hawk's  invasion  and  his  warlike  inten- 
tions, raised  a  force  of  eighteen  hundred  volunteers,  with  General  Whiteside  in 
command.  This  force  was  sworn  into  the  service  of  the  United  States  by  Brigadier 
General  Atkinson  of  the  regular  army,  and,  on  the  12th  of  May,  1832,  reached 
Dixon's  Ferry.  Colonel  Zachary  Taylor,  Lieutenant  Jefferson  Davis,  and  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  were  among  the  members  of  the  army. 

THE    FIRST    ENCOUNTER STILLMAN's    DEFEAT 

Black  Hawk  had  in  the  meantime  advanced  to  Sycamore  Creek,  thirty  miles 
away.  At  Dixon's  Ferry  the  volunteers  met  Major  Stillman  with  a  battalion  of 
two  hundred  and  seventy-five  men  awaiting  their  arrival.  Stillman  requested  per- 
mission to  go  out  with  his  men  as  a  scouting  party,  and  make  a  reconnoissance  of 
Black  Hawk's  camp.  Reluctantly  the  privilege  was  granted.  Stillman  had  marched 
twenty-five  miles  up  the  Rock  river,  and  was  preparing  to  encamp  within  a  few 
miles  of  Black  Hawk's  main  camp.  His  troops  were  in  confusion  and  disorder;  no 
pickets  or  sentinels  had  been  stationed.  Suddenly  three  unarmed  Indians  appeared 
bearing  a  white  flag.  Disregarding  the  flag  the  whites  took  the  Indians  prisoners. 


By  permission  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society 
From  Catlin's  '-'North  American  Indians" 


KEE-O-KUK 


From  "The  Indian  and  The  Northwest" 


BLACK   HAWK 


TAKEN  FROM  THE  LOCATION  OF  THE  FORMER  VILLAGE  OF   SAUKS,  CALLED 

SAUKENUK 

On  the  north  side  of  Rock  river,  three  miles  above  Its  mouth  and  three  miles  south 
of  the  present  city  of  Rock  Island 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  189 

Soon  after  six  others  appeared  on  horseback  three-fourths  of  a  mile  away.  With- 
out any  orders  a  few  soldiers  gave  chase  while  a  great  portion  of  the  troops  joined 
in  the  pursuit.  Several  of  the  Indians  were  killed,  but  no  whites. 

This  violation  of  the  rules  of  war  can  only  be  understood  by  remembering  that 
the  whites  were  intoxicated.  At  the  time  Black  Hawk  was  feasting  with  many  of 
his  Pottawattomie  friends.  Hearing  the  uproar  he  and  his  friends  hastily  mounted 
and  rushed  into  the  fray,  falling  with  fury  upon  Stillman's  disorganized  band.  The 
whites  were  chased  to  their  camp.  The  troops  at  the  camp,  frightened  at  the  yell- 
ing and  tramping  of  horses'  feet,  which  seemed  all  the  more  terrible  now  that 
night  had  set  in,  believed  that  Black  Hawk's  whole  band  was  upon  them,  although 
but  forty  Indians  were  pursuing  the  fugitives.  They  became  panic  stricken  and 
fled  precipitately  to  Dixon's  Ferry,  telling  a  horrible  tale.  But  one  straggler  after 
another  appeared  while  these  stories  of  wholesale  slaughter  were  being  told,  so  that 
all  save  fifty-two  had  appeared  by  the  next  morning. 

Want  of  discipline  among  the  officers  and  men  was  the  cause  of  this  rout.  Eleven 
of  the  whites  were  killed.  But  while  it  filled  Black  Hawk  with  disdain  for  the 
fighting  qualities  of  the  militia,  and  with  an  exaggerated  estimate  of  the  courage 
of  his  followers,  it  aroused  the  whites  to  redoubled  efforts,  though  the  immediate 
effect  was  a  reign  of  terror  for  the  inhabitants  who  dwelt  between  the  Illinois  and 
Wisconsin  rivers.  The  name  of  Black  Hawk  was  spoken  with  dread  and  fear  in 
every  household,  and  consternation  prevailed  everywhere,  the  men  and  their  families 
gathered  at  the  forts  believing  that  the  war  had  now  begun  in  deadly  earnest. 

RENEWED    PREPARATIONS    FOR    WAR 

On  the  da}'  that  news  reached  him  of  the  rout  just  described  Governor  Reynolds 
issued  a  call  for  two  thousand  additional  volunteers.  It  was  feared  that  the 
Indian  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife  would  now  endanger  the  lives  of  the  settlers, 
sparing  neither  age  nor  sex.  General  Whiteside  had  buried  eleven  mangled  corpses 
of  the  men  who  had  been  killed  during  Stillman's  rout,  after  which  the  army,  now 
numbering  about  twenty-four  hundred  men,  started  up  Rock  river  in  pursuit  of  the 
Indians.  But  just  at  the  time  when  they  were  most  needed  the  men  wished  to  re- 
turn to  their  homes,  to  protect  the  families  they  had  left  behind  them.  The  news 
received  was  of  the  most  heart-rending  character.  The  Indians  had  visited  the 
houses  of  Hall,  Davis  and  Pettigrew,  not  far  from  Ottawa,  on  the  20th  of  May, 
and  massacred  and  scalped  fifteen  persons,  mangling  the  bodies  in  a  frightful  man- 
ner. They  had  likewise  taken  with  them  the  two  daughters  of  Hall.  The  news 
of  this  massacre  filled  the  country  with  alarm,  yet  the  soldiers  persisted  in  de- 
manding their  discharge,  and  accordingly  the  Governor  discharged  them  all.  A 
few  reenlisted  and  a  new  force  was  at  once  organized.  Among  those  who  con- 
tinued in  the  service  were  General  Whiteside  and  Abraham  Lincoln.  The  two 
thousand  volunteers  called  out  by  the  Governor  assembled  at  Fort  Wilbourn  (near 
Peru)  on  June  15th,  and  were  organized  into  three  regiments  and  a  spy  battalion, 
the  whole  forming  a  brigade. 

INCIDENTS    OF    THE    WAR 

We  shall  here  attempt  to  describe  but  a  few  of  the  many  incidents  of  the  irregu- 
lar war  which  ensued.  About  two  hundred  and  fifty  whites,  as  well  as  an  equal 


190  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

number  of  Indians,  lost  their  lives  in  the  conflict.  The  country  was  ravaged  far 
and  wide  and  the  inhabitants  were  in  constant  fear  of  being  massacred.  Black 
Hawk  now  sent  out  many  scouting  parties,  particularly  against  the  settlements 
around  Galena.  On  June  24th,  he  personally  commanded  an  attack  on  Apple  River 
fort,  fourteen  miles  east  of  Galena,  where  the  town  of  Elizabeth  now  stands.  The 
besieged  garrison  repulsed  the  Indians  with  great  gallantry,  even  the  women  aid- 
ing by  moulding  bullets  and  loading  guns.  After  withdrawing,  Black  Hawk  at- 
tacked a  body  of  troops  under  Major  Dement  numbering  one  hundred  and  fifty 
men.  A  detachment  of  militia  under  General  Posey  brought  relief,  and  the  Indians 
were  routed  with  a  loss  of  fifteen  killed.  About  three  weeks  after  Stillman's  defeat 
the  new  force  of  soldiers,  embracing  in  all  about  three  thousand,  two  hundred  men, 
had  assembled  at  Fort  Wilbourn,  and  had  been  placed  under  the  command  of  Generals 
Alexander  Posey,  M.  K.  Alexander,  and  James  D.  Henry.  In  addition  there  were 
also  in  the  field  at  this  juncture  a  band  of  rangers  under  Fry,  another  under  the 
leadership  of  Dodge  in  Michigan  Territory,  and  a  force  of  United  States  infantry, 
making  a  total  strength  of  about  four  thousand  men  to  oppose  a  band  of  about  five 
hundred  Indians. 

THE    WAR    CARRIED    INTO    WISCONSIN 

After  the  news  of  the  defeat  of  Black  Hawk  by  General  Posey  had  been  re- 
ceived, General  Alexander  was  sent  to  Plum  river  to  attack  him  in  case  he  should 
attempt  to  cross  the  Mississippi  in  this  vicinity.  Atkinson  remained  at  Dixon 
until  learning  that  Black  Hawk  was  still  at  his  camp  near  Lake  Koshkonong,  when 
he  set  out  in  pursuit,  crossing  the  state  line  one  mile  east  of  Beloit  at  the  head  of 
twenty-six  hundred  men.  Upon  reaching  Lake  Koshkonong  on  the  2d  of  July, 
however,  he  found  the  camp  deserted.  The  signs  indicated  that  Black  Hawk,  in- 
stead of  crossing  the  Mississippi,  had  reached  Rock  river  above  the  Kishwaukee 
three  or  four  days  before.  The  troops  were  on  their  guard,  for  they  perceived 
that  the  savages  were  prowling  about  throughout  the  neighborhood. 

Posey  and  Dodge  with  about  three  hundred  men  advanced  through  swamps  for 
several  days,  being  led  by  White  Crow  and  thirty  Winnebagoes;  'and  had  almost 
reached  the  place  where  they  expected  to  find  the  hostiles,  when  to  their  great  dis- 
appointment Atkinson  recalled  them  to  his  camp  on  Rock  river.  Probably  this 
order  saved  the  force  from  the  destruction  which  White  Crow  was  treacherously 
meditating.  Having  been  informed  by  some  Winnebagoes  that  Black  Hawk's  camp 
was  on  an  island  in  the  Whitewater  river  a  few  miles  to  the  east,  General  Atkinson 
set  out  in  a  fruitless  pursuit,  wading  through  morasses,  from  the  7th  to  the  9th  of 
July. 

The  Winnebagoes  were  plotting  the  destruction  of  the  entire  American  army 
by  giving  wrong  information  and  attempting  to  lure  the  whites  into  a  trap.  While 
the  army  was  continuing  its  vain  pursuit  of  Black  Hawk,  the  latter  had  fled  from 
his  almost  inaccessible  position  on  the  east  bank  of  Rock  river.  Governor  Reynolds 
and  a  number  of  others  who  were  with  him  regarded  the  pursuit  through  trackless 
marshes  as  unlikely  to  result  in  success;  and  at  this  period  he  left  the  army.  The 
Governor  knew  that  the  troops  were  doing  their  duty,  and  he  had  been  praised  by 
President  Jackson  for  his  course  in  the  war. 

On  the  10th  of  July,  General  Winfield  Scott  with  about  one  thousand  regulars 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  191 

arrived  from  the  Atlantic  coast  at  Chicago.  He  had  been  dispatched  by  the  gov- 
ernment and  had  conveyed  his  troops  from  Old  Point  Comfort  in  Virginia  to  Chi- 
cago in  eighteen  days.  The  Asiatic  cholera  had  appeared  in  the  army,  and  many 
had  died  of  the  disease. 

GENERAL  HENRY'S   PURSUIT  OF   BLACK    HAWK 

Generals  Henry  and  Dodge,  while  at  Fort  Winnebago,  where  they  had  been 
sent  to  obtain  supplies,  ascertained  from  Pierre  Poquette,  a  well  known  half  breed 
scout  and  trader,  the  true  location  of  Black  Hawk's  camp.  They  set  out  with  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  men,  and  when  they  had  reached  the  spot  where  it  was  expected 
they  would  find  the  Indians  no  trace  of  them  was  to  be  seen.  The  leaders  learned 
that  the  Sacs  had  proceeded  to  Cranberry  lake,  now  Horicon,  about  half  a  day's 
march  up  the  river.  While  on  their  way  the  soldiers  discovered  a  broad  fresh  trail 
leading  westward.  The  discovery  that  Black  Hawk's  band  was  retreating  toward 
the  Mississippi  aroused  unbounded  enthusiasm  in  Henry's  men,  and  they  pushed 
on  in  hot  pursuit,  wading  through  swamps,  the  water  often  reaching  to  their  arm- 
pits. All  encumbrances  were  cast  aside.  They  found  all  along  the  road  kettles, 
blankets  and  the  like,  which  the  Indians  had  thrown  away  in  their  haste  to  advance. 
On  the  19th  of  July  Henry's  men  had  marched  fifty  miles.  A  terrific  thunderstorm 
occurred  in  the  evening  and  continued  nearly  all  night;  the  soldiers  could  not 
make  a  fire  for  cooking,  and  they  lacked  tents  and  blankets,  but  in  spite  of  their  dis- 
comforts they  continued  the  pursuit  vigorously.  They  were  told  by  several  Winne- 
bagoes  who  were  deserting  the  Sacs  that  the  Hawk  was  but  two  miles  in  front,  and 
they  hurried  forward  therefore  in  spite  of  their  hardships. 

On  the  evening  of  July  20th  the  troops  bivouacked  near  Third  Lake  (now 
Madison)  and  ate  the  first  regular  meal  they  had  taken  while  covering  the  distance 
of  one  hundred  miles  since  they  had  first  seen  the  Indian  trail.  On  the  21st  the 
march  was  resumed  and  the  excitement  grew  at  every  step  of  the  way.  The  hostile 
Indians  were  only  a  few  miles  ahead,  and  the  soldiers  were  straining  every  nerve 
to  overtake  them.  Forty  horses  gave  out  and  were  abandoned.  At  length,  with  the 
Wisconsin  only  a  mile  and  a  half  ahead,  they  came  up  with  the  Indian  rear.  The 
Indians  had  prepared  themselves  for  attack  in  order  to  gain  time  enough  to  cover 
the  flight  of  the  main  body  across  the  stream.  Though  the  Indians  fought  and 
yelled  like  madmen  they  were  driven  towards  the  river,  where  the  main  body  were 
attempting  to  cross.  On  the  bank  of  the  stream  was  a  dense  forest  from  which  the 
savages  could  inflict  great  damage  upon  the  Americans.  General  Henry  therefore 
sounded  a  retreat  when  evening  set  in.  The  Indians  had  lost  sixty-eight  in  killed 
up  to  this  time,  while  the  American  loss  was  but  one  killed  and  eight  wounded. 

This  battle,  known  as  the  battle  of  Wisconsin  Heights,  was  fought  with  great 
skill  by  General  Henry  and  was  the  first  decisive  victory  obtained  by  the  whites 
in  the  war.  Though  young  and  inexperienced,  General  Henry  had  shown  ability 
and  bravery.  His  conduct  on  this  occasion  made  him  the  most  popular  man  in 
Illinois.  He  had  set  out  in  pursuit  of  Black  Hawk  without  orders  from  his  su- 
perior, General  Atkinson,  and  though  a  number  of  officers  refused  to  join  him  be- 
cause they  did  not  want  to  move  without  orders  and  incur  the  charge  of  insubor- 
dination, Henry  saw  how  much  depended  upon  immediate  pursuit.  It  was  certain 


192  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

that  Black  Hawk  would  escape  if  the  army  returned  to  General  Atkinson,  almost  a 
hundred  miles  away  from  Fort  Winnebago,  from  which  Henry  had  set  out  in  pur- 
suit of  the  Sacs. 

FLIGHT    AND    DEFEAT    OF    BLACK    HAWK'S    BAND 

During  the  night  following  the  battle  just  described,  the  Indians  placed  their 
women,  children  and  old  men  on  a  raft,  believing  that  the  regular  troops  stationed 
at  Fort  Crawford,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  river,  would  permit  them  to 
cross  t6  the  western  bank  of  the  Mississippi  unmolested.  At  the  same  time  the  In- 
dians themselves  crossed  the  Wisconsin  river,  and,  supposing  that  the  safety  of 
their  helpless  ones  had  been  assured,  plunged  into  the  wilderness  with  the  purpose 
of  reaching  the  Mississippi  at  some  point  farther  north  than  Prairie  du  Chien. 

But  when  the  morning  dawned  and  the  whites  discovered  the  raft  loaded  with 
the  women,  children  and  old  men,  with  needless  cruelty  they  opened  fire  upon  them, 
killing  fifteen  outright  while  some  fifty  others  were  drowned  in  making  attempts  to 
escape.  Thirty-six  of  the  survivors  were  made  prisoners.  The  escape  of  Black 
Hawk  and  his  warriors,  however,  was  effectual  for  the  time  being,  as  the  whites 
being  without  provisions  found  it  necessary  to  abandon  the  pursuit  long  enough  to 
return  to  Blue  Mounds  and  replenish  their  supplies.  At  the  latter  place  General 
Atkinson  joined  the  victorious  forces  under  Henry  with  additional  troops,  and  as- 
sumed command  of  the  entire  force.  The  task  of  recuperation  occupied  a  week,  and 
on  the  28th  of  July  all  the  troops,  regulars  and  volunteers,  joined  at  Helena  where 
they  were  to  cross  the  Wisconsin  river  and  attempt  to  cut  off  the  flight  of  the  hos- 
tile Sacs. 

The  advance  was  begun  at  noon,  Brady  with  the  four  hundred  and  fifty  regulars 
in  front.  Then  came  Dodge,  Posey  and  Alexander;  while  Henry  in  charge  of  the 
baggage  was  ingloriously  bringing  up  the  rear.  Atkinson  and  the  regulars  were 
extremely  jealous  of  Henry  and  his  Illinois  volunteers  because  they  had  won  the 
laurels  of  the  campaign,  and  every  occasion  was  sought  to  diminish  and  disparage 
their  achievements. 

After  advancing  four  or  five  miles  the  trail  of  the  Sacs  was  discovered  leading 
towards  the  Mississippi.  Though  the  intervening  territory  was  almost  completely 
unknown,  besides  being  swampy  in  some  places,  and  covered  with  steep  and  thickly 
wooded  hills  in  others,  the  soldiers  had  become  animated  with  the  hope  that  the 
hostiles  would  soon  be  overtaken.  Black  Hawk  had  indeed  reached  the  Mississippi 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Bad  Axe  river,  forty  miles  north  of  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin 
at  Prairie  du  Chien.  He  could  not,  however,  obtain  the  means  of  transporting  his 
band  across.  When  he  saw  the  military  transport  steamer  "Warrior"  he  showed  a 
white  flag,  thus  manifesting  his  desire  to  surrender.  But  the  twenty-three  soldiers 
on  board  mistrusted  him  and  fired  upon  the  Indians,  and  they  returned  the  shot. 
One  of  the  white  men  and  over  twenty  of  the  Indians  lost  their  lives  in  this  affair. 
The  steamer  returned  to  Prairie  du  Chien.  Black  Hawk  becoming  hopeless  of  fur- 
thur  resistance  now  deserted  his  tribe,  fleeing  westward  across  the  river,  and  taking 
refuge  among  some  Winnebagoes  who  offered  to  give  him  shelter. 

The  Sacs  were  now  mercilessly  attacked  by  Henry,  who  was  soon  joined  by 
Atkinson.  The  Indians  were  driven  into  the  river  or  took  refuge  in  the  forest.  Great 
numbers  of  them  perished  while  bravely  fighting  or  in  attempting  to  escape  across 


By  courtesy  of  Chicago  Historical  Society.    Fiom  ratlin's  '  Norih  American  Indians 

INDIAN  DANCE 


From  a  painting  1 


1  M.  Brookes.    By  courtesy  of  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Society 


MOUTH  OF  BAD  AXE   RIVER 
Scene  of  battle  of  Bad  Axe,  which  was  the  last  battle  of  the  Black  Hawk  War 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  193 

the  river.  The  battle  of  Bad  Axe,  as  it  is  called,  was  one  of  cruel  and  wanton  ex- 
termination, about  three  hundred  of  the  Indians  being  either  killed  or  drowned. 
There  were  still  as  many  more  who  succeeded  in  crossing  the  river,  but  upon  reach- 
ing the  other  shore  they  were  attacked  by  a  party  of  a  hundred  Sioux  under  Wa- 
basha,  sent  out  by  Atkinson,  and  one-half  of  those  who  had  escaped  thus  far  were 
now  slaughtered.  Out  of  a  thousand  warriors  who  had  crossed  the  Mississippi  in 
April,  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  survived  the  war. 

CLOSE    OF    THE    BLACK    HAWK    WAR 

On  the  7th  of  August  General  Winfield  Scott,  who  had  been  detained  by  the 
ravages  of  cholera  among  his  troops  at  Chicago,  arrived  at  Prairie  du  Chien  and 
discharged  the  volunteers  the  day  after.  The  war  was  now  over.  The  Americans 
had  lost  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  men,  while  the  financial  cost  of  the  war  aggre- 
gated about  two  millions  of  dollars.  Black  Hawk  was  delivered  up  to  General 
Joseph  M.  Streeter,  the  Indian  agent  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  on  the  27th  of  August, 
and  on  the  21st  of  September,  1832,  a  treaty  of  peace  was  signed.  Black  Hawk, 
Neapope  and  the  Prophet  were  kept  as  hostages  for  the  good  behavior  of  the  rem- 
nant of  the  tribe.  They  were  imprisoned  at  Fortress  Monroe  until  June  of  the  fol- 
lowing year,  after  which  they  were  taken  through  the  chief  cities  of  the  East.  On 
August  1st  they  were  returned  to  Fort  Armstrong,  Black  Hawk  becoming  the  ward 
of  the  Sac  chief  Keokuk,  his  bitter  rival.  He  regarded  this  as  the  crowning  indig- 
nity of  all  the  humiliations  to  which  he  had  been  subjected.  He  died  five  years  la- 
ter on  the  3d  of  October,  1838,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one. 

Black  Hawk  was  honest;  he  was  attached  to  the  home  of  his  people,  but  he  was 
indiscreet  and  sentimental.  The  war  might  have  been  prevented  had  the  whites 
shown  more  forbearance  and  honesty,  virtues  which  indeed  were  difficult  to  practice 
when  Indian  massacres  and  depredations  were  taking  place  along  the  border,  arous- 
ing the  frontiersmen  and  impelling  them  to  acts  of  blind  ferocity.  During  the  war 
the  whites  frequently  acted  with  unnecessary  cruelty,  disregarding  all  rules  of  civ- 
ilized warfare.  After  the  battle  of  Wisconsin  Heights  (Henry's  victory),  firing 
on  the  women  and  old  men  placed  by  the  Indians  on  a  raft  was  an  indefensible  act 
of  cruelty. 

(SUMMARY  OF  THE  WAR 
"The  Black  Hawk  war,  while  full  of  exciting  incidents,  was  not  of  the  impor- 
tance it  is  often  supposed  to  be,"  says  Professor  Scherger  in  his  summary  of  the 
results  of  the  war;  "it  made  the  political  fortunes  of  several  of  the  participants  who 
afterward  aspired  to  become  statesmen.  But  the  means  used  were  out  of  all  propor- 
tion to  the  real  danger  or  the  results  gained.  It  is  often  stated  that  this  war  opened 
up  to  settlement  the  northern  part  of  Illinois  and  the  southern  half  of  Wisconsin. 
This  statement  is  rather  exaggerated;  the  section  would  have  been  occupied  even 
if  the  war  had  not  occurred.  The  Sacs  did  not  hinder  settlement  so  long  as  their 
village  was  spared;  and  there  was  plenty  of  unsettled  country  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood  of  this  village.  It  cannot  be  denied  that  public  interest  was,  during 
the  war,  strongly  attracted  toward  this  region.  The  whole  country,  east  and  west, 
watched  the  Black  Hawk  War  and  its  issue  with  eager  attention.  Many  of  the 
scenes  had  seldom  or  never  before  been  looked  upon  by  white  men,  and  the  soldiers 

Vol.!    -13 


194  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

in  the  campaign  moved  in  virgin  wilds.  Numerous  descriptions  of  the  war  and  of 
the  territory  upon  which  it  had  taken  place  appeared,  awakening  a  remarkable  in- 
terest throughout  the  country.  Another  noteworthy  result  was  that  the  mischievous 
and  treacherous  Winnebagoes  were  humbled  so  that  they  no  longer  opposed  the  set- 
tlement of  the  white  men.  No  doubt  on  the  whole  the  Black  Hawk  War  greatly 
promoted  the  development  of  the  Northwest." 

HUMOROUS   REFERENCES   TO    THE    WAR 

When,  some  years  after  the  war,  Mr.  Lincoln  was  a  member  of  Congress,  he 
made  a  humorous  speech,  in  which,  alluding  to  the  custom  of  exaggerating  the 
military  services  of  candidates  to  public  office,  and  ridiculing  the  extravagant  claims 
to  heroism  set  up  for  General  Lewis  Cass,  then  a  candidate  for  the  presidency,  he 
referred  to  his  own  services  in  the  Black  Hawk  war,  in  the  following  terms:  "By 
the  way,  Mr.  Speaker,  did  you  know  I  am  a  military  hero?  Yes,  sir,  in  the  days 
of  the  Black  Hawk  war  I  fought,  bled,  and  came  away.  Speaking  of  General  Cass' 
career  reminds  me  of  my  own.  I  was  not  at  Stillman's  defeat,  but  I  was  as  near 
it  as  Cass  was  to  Hull's  surrender ;  and,  like  him,  I  saw  the  place  very  soon  after- 
wards. .  .  If  he  saw  any  live  fighting  Indians,  it  was  more  than  I  did;  but  I 
had  a  good  many  bloody  struggles  with  the  mosquitoes,  and,  although  I  never 
fainted  from  loss  of  blood,  I  can  truly  say  I  was  often  very  hungry.  Mr.  Speaker, . 
if  I  should  ever  conclude  to  doff  whatever  our  democratic  friends  may  suppose 
there  is  of  black-cockade  federalism  about  me,  and  thereupon  they  shall  take  me 
up  as  their  candidate  for  the  Presidency,  I  protest  they  shall  not  make  fun  of  me, 
as  they  have  of  General  Cass,  by  attempting  to  write  me  into  a  military  hero."  ! 

Colonel  James  M.  Strode  made  a  burlesque  report  of  Stillman's  defeat  in  which 
he  said:  "It  was  just  after  twilight,  in  the  gloaming  of  the  evening,  when  we  dis- 
covered Black  Hawk's  army  coming  down  upon  us  in  a  solid  column ;  they  deployed 
in  the  form  of  a  crescent  on  the  brow  of  the  prairie,  and  such  accuracy  and  pre- 
cision of  military  movements  were  never  witnessed  by  man ;  they  were  equal  to  the 
best  troops  of  Wellington  in  Spain,  and  what  was  most  wonderful,  there  were  large 
squares  of  cavalry  resting  upon  the  points  of  the  curve,  which  squares  were  sup- 
ported again  by  other  columns  fifteen  deep,  extending  back  through  the  woods  and 
over  a  swamp  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  which  again  rested  upon  the  main  body 
of  Black  Hawk's  army,  bivouacked  upon  the  banks  of  the  Kishwaukee.  It  was  a 
terrible  and  glorious  sight  to  see  the  tawny  warriors  as  they  rode  along  our  flanks 
attempting  to  outflank  us,  with  the  glittering  moonbeans  reflected  from  their  polished 
blades  and  burnished  spears. 

"It  was  a  sight  well  calculated  to  strike  consternation  to  the  stoutest  and  boldest 
heart,  and  accordingly  our  men  began  to  break  in  small  squads  for  tall  timber.  In 
a  very  little  time  the  rout  became  general,  the  Indians  were  upon  our  flanks  and 
threatened  the  destruction  of  the  entire  detachment.  About  this  time  Major  Still- 
man,  Colonel  Stephenson,  Major  Perkins,  Captain  Adams,  Mr.  Hackleton  and  my- 
self, with  some  others,  went  back  to  the  rear  to  rally  the  fugitives  and  protect  the 
retreat;  but  in  a  short  time  all  my  companions  fell,  bravely  fighting  hand  to  hand 
with  the  savage  enemy,  and  I  alone  was  left  upon  the  field  of  battle. 

1  Arnold's  "Life  of  Lincoln,"  p.  37. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  195 

"About  this  time  I  discovered,  not  far  to  the  left,  a  corps  of  horsemen  who 
seemed  in  tolerable  order.  I  immediately  deployed  to  the  left,  when  leaning  down 
and  placing  my  body  in  a  recumbent  position  upon  the  mane  of  my  horse,  so  as  to 
bring  the  heads  of  the  horsemen  between  my  eye  and  the  horizon,  I  discovered 
by  the  light  of  the  moon  that  they  were  gentlemen  who  did  not  wear  hats,  by  which 
token  I  knew  they  were  no  friends  of  mine.  I  therefore  made  a  retrograde  move- 
ment and  recovered  my  former  position,  where  I  remained  for  some  time  meditating 
what  further  I  could  do  in  the  service  of  my  country,  when  a  random  cannon  ball 
came  whistling  by  my  ear,  and  plainly  whispering  to  me,  'Stranger,  you  have  no  fur- 
ther business  here.'  Upon  hearing  this  I  followed  the  example  of  my  companions 
in  arms  and  broke  for  tall  timber,  and  the  way  I  ran  was  not  a  little,  and  quit."  2 

Colonel  Strode  was  a  lawyer  living  in  Galena,  and,  at  the  time  of  this  episode, 
was  just  returning  from  the  circuit  with  a  slight  wardrobe  and  Chitty's  "Pleadings" 
packed  in  his  saddle-bags,  all  of  which  were  captured  by  the  Indians.  The  Colonel 
afterwards  related,  "with  much  vexation,"  says  Ford,  "that  Black  Hawk  had 
decked  himself  out  in  his  finery,  appearing  in  the  wild  woods  amongst  his  savage 
companions,  dressed  in  one  of  the  Colonel's  ruffled  shirts  drawn  over  his  deerskin 
garments,  with  a  volume  of  Chitty's  'Pleadings'  under  each  arm."  3 

THE    WAR    EXCITEMENT    AT    CHICAGO 

The  news  of  the  uprising  of  the  Sacs  reached  Chicago  from  the  settlements  on 
the  Fox  river,  which  were  immediately  threatened  after  Stillman's  defeat.  By 
the  10th  of  May  the  fleeing  families  began  to  arrive  at  Chicago  and  took  refuge  in 
the  fort,  which  was  as  yet  unoccupied  by  troops  then  on  the  way  from  Fort  Niagara. 
The  fort  soon  gave  shelter  to  nearly  seven  hundred  souls,  two-thirds  of  whom  were 
women  and  children.  Colonel  T.  J.  V.  Owen,  the  Indian  agent  then  in  charge  of 
the  fort,  spared  no  effort  to  accommodate  all  that  came,  and,  though  occupying  the 
commander's  house  with  his  own  large  family,  confined  himself  to  a  single  room 
and  gave  up  the  rest  of  the  house  to  the  fugitives.  Many  of  the  heads  of  families 
had  sent  their  women  and  children  to  the  fort  while  they  themselves  drove  their 
live  stock  towards  the  Wabash.4 

SHABBONA'S  GOOD  INFLUENCE 

When,  soon  after  Stillman's  defeat,  Shabbona,  the  chief  of  the  Ottawa  tribe 
(who  was  also  a  Pottawattomie  chief  by  virtue  of  his  marriage  to  a  woman  of  the 
latter  tribe),  was  visited  by  Black  Hawk,  "Shabbona,"  said  the  wily  Sauk  Chief, 
if  you  will  permit  your  young  men  to  unite  with  mine,  I  will  have  an  army  like  the 
trees  in  the  forest,  and  will  drive  the  pale-faces  before  me  like  autumn  leaves  be- 
fore an  angry  wind."  "Ay,"  replied  Shabbona,  "but  the  pale-faces  will  soon 
bring  an  army  like  the  leaves  on  the  trees  and  sweep  you  into  the  ocean  beneath 
the  setting  sun."  5 

2  Ford's  "History  of  Illinois,"  p.   120. 

3  Ford.    "History  of  Illinois,"  p.  121. 

4  Bross.     History  of    Chicago,   p.    19. 

"P.  A.  Armstrong.     Address   to   the   Shabbona    Memorial   Assn.    (Folio   Records,    Evanston 
Historical    Society). 


196  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

While  this  language  was  hardly  likely  to  have  been  used  between  these  two 
Indian  chiefs,  there  is  no  doubt  that  in  substance  it  was  the  purport  of  their  con- 
versation,— an  appeal  by  the  one,  a  firm  rejection  by  the  other.  Shabbona  and 
his  son  then  stole  away  from  the  camp  of  the  Sauks  and  hastened  to  warn  the 
settlers  of  impending  danger.  Some  did  not  heed  the  warnings  and  were  soon 
after  massacred  by  the  advancing  enemy.  Others  were  wiser  and  started  on  the 
long  flight  towards  Fort  Dearborn.  For  the  distinguished  services  performed  by 
Shabbona  at  this  time  he  was  granted  a  pension  by  the  United  States  government, 
and  his  memory  is  held  in  high  esteem  among  the  people  where  he  was  known.  He 
died  in  1859  at  Morris,  Illinois,  where  a  monument  to  his  memory  in  the  form  of  a 
block  of  granite  was  placed  in  position  in  1903. 

COLONEL,  OWEN'S  ENERGETIC   ACTION 

The  people  at  Chicago  had,  however,  been  by  no  means  idle  in  dealing  with  the 
emergency.  Colonel  Owen  had  called  a  council  in  which  Alexander  Robinson  and 
Billy  Caldwell,  the  two  friendly  chiefs  of  the  Pottawattomies,  took  part,  as  well  as 
some  other  chiefs  who  were  inclined  to  emphasize  their  grievances  against  the  whites. 
It  was  made  plain  to  them,  however,  that  if  any  of  the  Indians  within  the  district 
surrounding  the  fort  should  form  any  alliance  or  give  aid  to  Black  Hawk  and  his 
Sauks  they  would  be  held  to  a  strict  accountability  for  it,  and  would  be  punished 
severely.  This  council  had  good  results,  and  among  the  Pottawattomies  a  company 
of  scouts  was  soon  after  formed  which  did  good  service  in  protecting  the  outlying 
settlements.  It  may  be  well  to  mention  here  that  the  name  Sac  often  appears  in 
the  older  histories  as  Sauk,  either  of  the  two  forms  being  used  indifferently.  In- 
dividuals of  the  tribe  were  known  as  Sauks,  Saukees,  or  Saukies. 

In  May  a  company  of  twenty-five  men  was  organized  in  the  fort,  which  advanced 
towards  the  Fox  river  and  rendered  aid  to  the  settlers  in  that  direction.  They  soon 
arrived  at  Walker's  Grove,  since  called  Plainfield.  Here  was  the  residence  of  the 
Reverend  Jesse  Walker,  superintendent  of  the  mission  work  of  the  Methodist  church 
in  the  region  extending  from  Peoria  to  Chicago.  Here  also  lived  the  Reverend 
Stephen  R.  Beggs,  an  itinerant  Methodist  preacher.  Beggs  had  built  a  rude  fort 
of  logs  which  for  the  time  being  was  called  "Fort  Beggs,"  within  which  were  shel- 
tered one  hundred  and  twenty-five  persons.  It  was  decided,  however,  to  remove  all 
the  fugitives  to  Chicago,  which  was  done  accordingly,  though  the  suffering  endured 
both  on  the  journey  and  after  their  arrival  was  heartrending.6 

EXPERIENCES    OF   THE    FUGITIVES 

There  was  scant  accommodation  for  the  fugitives  after  their  arrival  in  Chicago. 
Five  or  six  families  were  in  some  cases  crowded  into  one  small  room,  and  though  it 
was  then  the  summer  season  there  was  much  suffering  and  distress.  Among  the  re- 
fugees some  fifteen  new  born  infants  were  added  to  the  number.  The  troops  arriv- 
ing soon  after,  even  the  shelter  of  the  fort  buildings  were  denied  them  and  a  large 
number  of  women  and  children  were  obliged  to  find  shelter  in  open  sheds  outside 
the  fort.  General  Scott's  army  arrived  about  this  time  and  among  them  the  cholera 
had  broken  out,  adding  to  the  alarms  of  the  unfortunate  refugees.  Mr.  Beggs  in 

8  S.  R.  Beggs.    Early  History  of  the  West  and  the  Northwest,  p.  102. 


By  courtesy  of  the  Little  Chronicle  Company 

LIEUTENANT    WILLIAM    WHISTLER 

Portrait  taken  in  the  uniform  of  a 
colonel  of  the  United  States  army  about 
the  time  he  was  in  command  of  Fort 
Dearborn  in  1832. 


/       <..J|»»JA  „.";- 


•      XI       f  I   A<T  T  A  f)  H   f.   I) 

A  V^VA   C  II   K    »  A  *><„ 


From  Blanchard's  "Northwest  and  Chicago" 


MAP  OF  NORTHERN  ILLINOIS  IN  1835 
Showing  Indian  trail  between  Rock  Island  and  Fort  Dearborn 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  197 

his  book,  "Early  History  of  the  West  and  Northwest,"  says  that  at  this  juncture 
he  proposed  to  Mrs.  Beggs  that  they  return  to  their  abandoned  home  at  Plainfield. 
To  this  she  consented,  saying  that  "it  would  be  no  better  to  die  here  than  to  be  killed 
by  the  Indians  on  the  road."  They  started  on  the  forty  mile  journey  and  reached 
it  in  one  day's  traveling.7 

PESTILENCE    AND    WAR 

Meantime  many  deaths  from  the  cholera  were  occurring,  and  the  people  who  had 
assembled  at  the  fort  for  safety  again  began  to  flee  from  this  new  terror,  and  Chi- 
cago became  almost  deserted  except  for  the  troops.  Some  followed  Beggs  to  his 
fort,  and  some  went  to  Danville,  then  considered  a  place  of  safety. 

On  the  10th  of  July,  General  Winfield  Scott  had  reached  Chicago  with  a  force 
of  United  States  troops.  President  Jackson,  having  grown  impatient  at  the  delays 
in  the  conduct  of  the  war  against  the  hostile  Indians,  ordered  Scott  to  take  nine 
companies  from  the  Atlantic  coast  and  "proceed  to  the  seat  of  war  and  put  an  end 
to  it."8  At  Buffalo  the  troops  were  embarked  on  four  steamers,  but  some  cases  of 
cholera  having  developed  on  the  passage,  two  of  the  steamers  were  sent  back  from 
Fort  Gratiot  on  the  St.  Clair  river.  The  other  two  became  separated,  the  steamer 
"Sheldon  Thompson,"  with  General  Scott  on  board  arriving  some  eight  days  in  ad- 
vance of  the  "William  Penn"  with  the  remainder  of  the  force.  The  journey  from 
Fortress  Monroe  had  been  accomplished  by  General  Scott  in  the  short  space  of 
eighteen  days.9 

Of  the  eight  hundred  and  fifty  men  who  left  Buffalo  more  than  half  were  sent 
back  from  Fort  Gratiot,  and  but  little  more  than  one-third  reached  Chicago  in  a 
condition  fit  for  service.  On  the  passage  and  during  the  fortnight  following  their 
arrival  eighty-eight  died  from  the  disease.  Some  were  buried  in  the  waters  of  Lake 
Michigan  and  a  considerable  number  were  buried  at  Chicago  near  the  present  north- 
west corner  of  Lake  street  and  Wabash  avenue.  The  fort  was  transformed  into  a 
hospital  and  the  troops  still  in  good  health  found  shelter  wherever  they  could,  some 
under  boards  placed  against  the  fence,  others  in  tents. 

THE    DIFFICULTIES    OF    THE    COMMANDER 

"General  Winfield  Scott,  some  time  after  the  Mexican  war,  told  me,"  said  John 
Wentworth  in  his  address  on  Fort  Dearborn,  "that  he  had  often  been  in  great  dan- 
ger, and  that  he  had  witnessed  a  great  deal  of  suffering,  but  he  had  never  felt  his 
entire  helplessness  and  need  of  Divine  Providence  as  he  did  upon  the  lakes  in  the 
midst  of  the  Asiatic  cholera.  Sentinels  were  of  no  use  in  warning  of  the  enemy's 
approach.  He  could  not  storm  his  works,  fortify  against  him,  nor  cut  his  way  out, 
nor  make  terms  of  capitulation.  There  was  no  respect  for  a  flag  of  truce,  and  his 
men  were  falling  upon  all  sides  from  an  enemy  in  his  very  midst."  10  Indeed  the 
general's  responsibilities  were  never  greater.  Indian  massacres  were  demanding  the 
utmost  haste,  and  all  were  looking  to  him  for  direction  and  decisive  action. 

Accompanying  General  Scott  at  the  outset  of  his  journey  was  the  majority  of 
the  class  graduated  that  year  from  West  Point,  who  were  sent  with  him  to  obtain 

7  Beggs.    Early  History  of  the  West  and   Northwest,  p.  105. 

8  Stevens.    History  of  the  Black  Hawk  War,  p.  242. 
0  Stevens.    History  of  the  Black  Hawk  War,  p.  242. 

10  Fergus'  Historical  Series,  No.  16,  p.  37. 


198  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

their  first  lessons  in  Indian  warfare.  Twenty-nine  of  them  left  Buffalo  with  him, 
but  nearly  all  were  sent  back  from  Fort  Gratiot.  During  all  the  horrors  of  the 
situation  the  commanding  general  never  wearied  in  his  ministrations  to  the  suffering 
men.  "In  many  a  campaign  did  this  fine  old  hero  distinguish  hmiself,"  writes  Ste- 
vens, "but  in  none  did  he  win  more  fame  than  in  this." 

ABATEMENT    OF    THE    CHOLERA 

On  the  29th  of  July,  finding  that  there  was  an  abatement  of  the  pestilence,  Gen- 
eral Scott  set  out  with  three  officers  of  his  staff  for  Prairie  du  Chien.  This  was 
just  at  the  time  when  General  Atkinson  was  hotly  pursuing  Black  Hawk's  retreat- 
ing band  into  Wisconsin;  and  when  the  commanding  general  arrived  at  Prairie  du 
Chien  on  the  7th  of  August,  the  final  battle  of  the  war  had  been  fought  five  days 
before,  and  Black  Hawk  was  a  fugitive. 

The  later  movements  of  General  Scott  may  be  briefly  told.  After  his  arrival  at 
Prairie  du  Chien  he  ordered  the  discharge  of  the  volunteer  forces  so  that  they  might 
speedily  return  to  their  homes  and  resume  their  interrupted  occupations.  He  then 
proceeded  down  the  Mississippi  to  Fort  Armstrong  on  Rock  Island,  where,  on  the 
21st  of  September,  "a  treaty  of  peace,  friendship  and  cession"  was  concluded  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  the  confederated  tribes  of  Sac  and  Fox  Indians.  On 
the  part  of  the  United  States  this  treaty  was  signed  by  Winfield  Scott  and  John 
Reynolds,  and  on  the  part  of  the  tribes  by  Keokuk.and  a  large  number  of  other 
chiefs.  General  Scott  returned  to  the  East  within  a  few  weeks  after  the  signing  of 
the  treaty.  He  visited  Chicago  again  in  1839,  being  a  guest  on  the  occasion  of  the 
city's  presentation  of  a  flag  to  the  steamer  Illinois,  built  by  Oliver  Newberry. 

HISTORIES    OF    THE    SAUK    WAR 

Several  volumes  have  been  published  having  for  their  subject  the  life  of  Black 
Hawk  or  the  Black  Hawk  War.  The  year  after  the  war  the  fallen  and  captive  chief 
dictated  the  history  of  his  life,  which  was  published  by  J.  B.  Patterson  of  Rock 
Island,  under  the  title  of  "The  Autobiography  of  Black  Hawk."  In  the  preface  to 
the  book  the  editor,  as  he  calls  himself,  refers  to  him  as  a  "hero."  and  a  "patriot" ; 
and  elsewhere  as  a  "brave  man,"  and  says  that  he  was  possessed  in  a  marked  degree 
of  "the  elements  which  constitute  a  noble  nature." 

A  volume  entitled  "The  Sauks  and  the  Black  Hawk  War,"  written  by  the  late 
Perry  A.  Armstrong,  of  Morris,  Illinois,  is  a  very  complete  account  of  the  war,  in 
which  a  mass  of  details  is  contained.  Armstrong  takes  a  favorable  view  of  Black 
Hawk's  character  and  usually  finds  a  justification  for  him  in  all  his  acts  of  hostility 
towards  the  whites,  speaking  of  his  "true  nobility  of  character,"  and  of  his  abilities 
as  a  leader  and  as  a  natural  orator.  This  author,  however,  was  an  ardent  admirer 
of  the  Indian  character,  taking  every  occasion  to  show  his  sympathy  for  the  wrongs 
of  the  savages,  and  passing  unstinted  condemnation  on  the  encroachments  and  im- 
positions of  the  whites.  Armstrong  was  deeply  influenced  by  the  glamor  and  ro- 
mance of  the  savage  life,  and  wrote  of  Indian  virtues  and  natural  gifts  in  the  most 
extravagant  terms. 

STEVENS'  HISTORY  OF  THE  WAR 

The  most  exhaustive  work  on  this  period  of  history  is  that  of  Frank  E.  Stevens, 
published  in  1903.  This  volume  adequately  treats  of  the  events  of  the  Black  Hawk 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  199 

War  and  appears  to  have  taken  notice  of  every  detail  that  is  worthy  of  mention  in 
that  connection.  The  author  has  likewise  made  a  surprisingly  large  collection  of 
portraits  of  the  men  of  Illinois,  contemporary  with  that  period,  as  well  as  of  the 
actors  in  the  war  itself.  It  is  probable  that  there  is  no  book  on  western  history  ex- 
tant that  has  such  a  wonderful  portrait  gallery.  The  formation  of  this  collection 
required  many  years  of  patient  effort,  and  the  three  hundred  rare  and  interesting 
portraits  and  views  with  which  the  volume  is  illustrated  add  greatly  to  its  value. 

Stevens  has  no  sort  of  sympathy  with  Black  Hawk,  whom  he  charges  with  cher- 
ishing a  malignant  and  enduring  hostility  towards  the  Americans  throughout  his 
career,  until  defeat  and  captivity  worked  in  him  at  last  a  change  of  heart.  This 
author  denounces  the  old  chief  on  every  occasion  and  will  not  allow  any  considera- 
tion in  his  favor.  Like  a  prosecuting  attorney  he  marshals  the  evidence  against  him 
with  many  caustic  comments.  "Black  Hawk,"  he  says,  "without  provocation  and 
contrary  to  his  promises  .  .  .  waged  a  merciless  war  on  the  feeble  settlements, 
simply  because  he  hated  the  Americans."  He  calls  him  a  "cold-blooded  aggressor 
and  murderer,"  speaks  of  his  "implacable  hatred,"  and  says  he  was  "churlish  and 
revengeful."  In  other  respects  great  praise  must  be  given  to  Mr.  Stevens  for  his 
"History  of  the  Black  Hawk  War,"  which  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  contributions 
to  the  early  history  of  Illinois  which  we  possess. 

THE  SAC  CHIEFS'  VISIT  TO  WASHINGTON 

When,  in  the  year  following  his  capture,  Black  Hawk  was  taken  to  Washington 
on  a  visit  to  President  Jackson,  he  and  some  other  Sac  chiefs  who  accompanied  him 
were  greatly  impressed  with  the  evidences  of  the  wealth  and  power  of  the  white 
people  which  they  witnessed  on  every  hand.  In  one  of  his  speeches  he  said,  "Brother, 
your  houses  are  as  numerous  as  the  leaves  upon  the  trees,  and  your  warriors  like 
the  sand  on  the  shore  of  the  big  lake  that  rolls  before  us."  The  president  gave  Black 
Hawk  and  his  chiefs  some  good  advice;  "Bury  the  tomahawk,"  said  he,  "and  live  in 
peace  with  the  frontiers,"  which  admonition  Black  Hawk  promised  to  heed.  "When 
I  get  back  I  will  remember  your  words,"  said  he;  "I  won't  go  to  war  again;  I  will 
live  in  peace."  n 

The  party  then  visited  other  eastern  cities,  attracting  much  attention  and  even 
admiration  from  the  crowds  which  everywhere  surrounded  them.  A  poet  of  the  day 
addressed  a  lengthy  effusion  to  the  "old  forest  lion,"  as  he  called  him,  the  opening 
lines  of  which  were ; 

"There's  beauty  on  thy  brow,  old  chief,  the  high 

And  manly  beauty   of   the    Roman   mould, 
And  the  keen  flashing  of  thy  full  dark  eye 

Speaks  of  a   heart  that  years  have   not  made  cold."  J  2 

BLACK     HAWK'S    CHARACTER 

But  the  sentiments  of  people  far  removed  from  scenes  of  danger,  and  of  .people 
living  in  later  times,  who  know  nothing  of  the  terrors  of  Indian  alarms,  were  not 

"Stevens:    "Black  Hawk  War,"  p.  261. 

12  "Address  to  Black  Hawk,"  by  Edward  Sanford,  printed  in  the  "New  York  Book  of  Poetry," 
1837. 


200  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

apt  to  be  shared  by  the  pioneers  themselves.  Neither  are  they  shared  by  those 
whose  duty  it  is  to  study  the  records  of  pioneer  life.  We  have  seen  the  estimate 
placed  upon  Black  Hawk  by  Professor  Scherger  at  the  conclusion  of  his  account 
'of  the  war  given  above.  "Black  Hawk  was  honest,"  he  says.  "He  was  attached 
to  the  home  of  his  people;  but  he  was  indiscreet  and  sentimental."  Dr.  Thwaites, 
in  his  account  of  the  Black  Hawk  war,  says  of  Black  Hawk,  "He  was  of  a  highly 
romantic  temperament;  his  judgment  was  warped  by  sentiment;  and  tricksters  easily 
played  upon  his  weakness.  .  .  He  was,  above  all  things,  a  patriot.  In  the 
year  before  his  death,  he  made  a  speech  to  a  party  of  whites  who  were  making  a 
holiday  hero  of  him,  and  thus  forcibly  defended  his  motives:  'Rock  River  was  a 
beautiful  country.  I  liked  my  town,  my  cornfields,  and  the  home  of  my  people.  I 
fought  for  them.'  No  poet  could  have  penned  for  him  a  more  touching  epitaph."  13 
In  the  Outlook  magazine  number  for  April  10,  1910,  there  is  a  reference  to  an 
incident  of  Black  Hawk's  eastern  trip.  The  "Spectator,"  while  visiting  an  aerial 
exhibit  in  Boston,  heard  a  story  of  the  captured  chief.  "Near  the  Harvard  ex- 
hibit," he  writes,  "where  the  Wright  and  Curtiss  models  faced  each  other,  the 
Spectator  found  a  gray  haired  man  in  an  official  blue  coat  and  brass  buttons,  who 
was  always  the  center  of  a  group  of  boys.  He  was  helping  them  build  their  aero- 
planes for  sale,  and  telling  them  about  old  days  in  air  navigation.  'Yes,  sir,  I'm 
the  son  of  Charles  Durant,  the  aeronaut  who  made  the  balloon  ascension  in  Castle 
Garden  in  1834.  Here's  the  handbill.'  He  showed  a  quaint  old  placard,  with  a 
queer  ancient  cylindrical  barometer  hanging  along  side  of  it.  'And  that  barometer 
was  used  on  the  ascent.  So  was  this  flag — pretty  ragged  and  faded  now,  isn't 
it?  Only  twenty-one  stars  there  were  then,  you  see.'  The  red  stripes  were  faded 
almost  white,  and  the  white  yellowed  and  worn  in  the  folds,  but  the  flag  spoke  for 
itself,  and  the  boys  gazed  at  it  delightedly. 

"  'Andrew  Jackson  was  President  then.  He  came  on  from  Washington — and 
that  meant  some  traveling  in  those  days — to  see  my  father  make  the  ascent.  Black 
Hawk,  the  Indian  chief  (they'd  just  captured  him)  was  brought  to  New  York  and 
saw  it,  too.  The  Government  thought  it  might  do  him  good  to  see  what  wonder- 
ful things  the  white  man  could  do.  The  old  fellow  was  astonished,  sure  enough. 
He  wouldn't  say  much,  but  he  looked  and  looked,  and  he  asked  whether  the  bal- 
loon would  go  all  the  way  to  the  happy  hunting-grounds,  and  whether  my  father 
would  ever  come  back.  That's  a  question  no  aeronaut  can  ever  answer.  But  my 
father  went  up  into  the  air,  and  did  come  back  safe,  and  the  Indian  felt  just  the 
way  they  wanted  him  to — that  the  white  man  could  do  anything,  no  matter  how 
wonderful.'  " 

13  Thwaites.     "Black  Hawk  War,"  p.  196. 


CHAPTER  XI 

INDIAN   REMOVAL— ILLINOIS  AND  MICHIGAN   CANAL 

CHARACTER    OF    SAVAGES EARLY    TREATIES TREATY    OF     CHICAGO THE     ENCAMPMENT 

SIGNING  OF  THE  TREATY PROVISIONS  OF  THE  TREATY REMOVAL  OF  THE  IN- 
DIANS  WHARFING  PRIVILEGES ILLINOIS  AND  MICHIGAN  CANAL FEASIBILITY  OF 

A  CANAL CANAL  IDEA  IN  THE  EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY EASTERN  OPINION  REGARD- 
ING THE  CANAL STATE  LEGISLATION FINANCING  THE  WORK CHICAGO  JOY- 
FULLY ANTICIPATES  THE  CANAL MEETINGS  OF  CITIZENS  AT  CHICAGO WORK  IS 

BEGUN PROGRESS  OF  THE  WORK MAGNITUDE  OF  THE  UNDERTAKING DIFFI- 
CULTIES SURMOUNTED WORK  RESUMED  UNDER  A  TRUSTEESHIP  —  FINANCIAL  CON- 
DITION OF  THE  CANAL  IN  1843 COMPLETION  OF  THE  CANAL THE  ERIE  CANAL 

OF    NEW    YORK M'cOWAN's    NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    CANAL. 

CHARACTER    OF    SAVAGES 

SE  have  had  much  to  say  in  this  history  of  Indians  whose  presence  in  the 
land  which  the  whites  came  to  occupy  was  the  chief  and  most  important 
fact  among  the  conditions  which  were  encountered  by  the  pioneers  of  the 
wilderness.  We  of  a  later  generation  can  little  understand  the  deep  in- 
terest with  which  the  early  settlers  regarded  them,  nor  wonder  at  their 
dealings  with  them.  It  is  common  to  condemn  the  conduct  of  the  white  man  in 
his  so-called  encroachments  upon  the  savage,  who,  by  reason  of  his  want  of  ex- 
perience in  the  ways  of  civilized  men,  was  peculiarly  subject  to  imposition.  The 
savage,  however,  was  not  much  impressed  with  ideas  of  justice,  and  when  it  came 
to  making  treaties  the  pleas  he  made  for  his  rights  were  merely  the  sentiments 
which  he  had  borrowed  from  the  whites.  Indeed  Indians  cared  for  the  ideas  ob- 
tained from  civilized  life  only  so  far  as  they  could  be  made  use  of  to  their  own  ad- 
vantage and  "played  fair"  only  when  obliged  to  do  so.  Like  all  savages  they  were 
apt  to  be  bullies  taking  advantage  of  weakness  rather  than  exercising  the  virtue 
of  generosity  or  forbearance.  Savage  nature  and  characteristics  were  often  de- 
picted by  writers  in  a  sanguinary  and  lurid  manner  quite  in  excess  of  the  real  con- 
ditions. We  quote  a  stanza  from  a  poem  read  in  1881  at  the  unveiling  of  the 
memorial  tablet,  on  the  site  of  Fort  Dearborn. 

"Here  where  the  savage  war-whoop  once  resounded, 
Where  Council  fires  burned  brightly  years  ago ; 
Where  the  red  Indian  from  his  covert  bounded 
To  scalp  his  pale-faced  foe." 

201 


202  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

Such  practices  by  the  "red  Indian"  were  very  exceptional  and  seldom  indulged  in. 
Indians  were  not  always  "bounding  from  their  coverts"  or  scalping  pale-faces,  for 
they  had  too  much  reason  to  fear  the  people  thus  rudely  pounced  upon,  as  the  con- 
sequences of  such  acts  were  apt  to  be  very  serious  to  them.  When  they  did  engage 
in  warfare,  however,  they  avoided  open  and  fair  fights,  preferring  the  sneaking 
methods  of  surprises  and  ambuscades,  and  making  attacks  on  defenseless  women 
and  children. 

The  Indian  had  only  the  most  rudimentary  ideas  of  right  and  wrong.  He  had 
no  aspirations  for  mental  or  moral  improvement,  and  an  altruistic  impulse  of  any 
kind  was  foreign  to  his  nature.  There  were  exceptions  of  course  to  such  a  state- 
ment but  even  then  only  as  the  result  of  ideas  borrowed  from  the  whites.  The  aver- 
age Indian,  when  not  hostile,  was  an  idler  and  a  vagabond.  He  was  obliged  to 
spend  part  of  his  time  in  hunting  in  order  to  provide  sustenance,  but  he  left  all 
the  drudgery  to  be  performed  by  the  weaker  sex.  He  spent  much  time,  when  near 
posts  or  settlements,  in  lounging  about  in  the  hope  of  picking  up  a  few  crumbs  or 
cast-off  articles,  and  in  "watching  the  proceedings." 

Indian  lore  is  of  absorbing  interest.  The  literature  of  American  history  is 
heavily  saturated  with  it.  But  the  interest  that  the  average  person  of  today  feels 
is  of  a  far  different  kind  from  that  which  was  felt  by  those  who  were  in  actual 
contact  with  the  "noble  red  man  of  the  forest."  We  criticise  the  harshness  of  the 
pioneer  in  his  conduct  towards  the  Indians,  but  we  forget  that  constant  vigilance 
was  the  price  of  safety,  and  it  was  almost  inevitable  that  antagonisms  should  arise. 

EARLY    TREATIES 

From  the  time  of  the  signing  of  the  Greenville  treaty  in  1795,  there  was  a  se- 
ries of  Indian  treaties  extending  over  thirty-eight  years  particularly  affecting  the 
region  of  northern  Illinois.  Some  of  these  treaties  were  merely  declarations  of 
friendship,  others  provided  for  territorial  cessions  while  some  renewed  the  condi- 
tions of  former  treaties  and  included  as  participants  additional  tribes.  The  pro- 
visions of  these  treaties  were  often  not  clear  to  the  ignorant  chiefs  who,  after  the 
agreement  was  made  and  ratified,  would  raise  objections  and  demand  another 
council.  The  government  would  then  frame  up  a  new  treaty  including  the  former 
provisions  as  well  as  added  ones,  and  again  the  chiefs  were  gathered  to  sign  away, 
usually  unwittingly,  still  more  of  what  remained  to  them.  The  odds  were  all  against 
them,  with  their  unstable  conditions  of  land  tenure,  their  ignorance  and  barbarity 
on  the  one  side;  and  the  keen,  often  unscrupulous,  wits  of  the  government  agent 
on  the  other  side.  Finally  came  the  great  Treaty  of  Chicago  in  1833,  which  pro- 
vided for  the  removal  of  the  Indians  to  the  reservation  in  the  West  which  was 
given  them  by  the  terms  of  this  same  treaty.  It  was  a  long  time  before  the  sig- 
nificance of  this  agreement  came  home  to  them,  and  they  realized  but  slowly  the 
seriousness  of  the  great  father's  intention  to  send  them  away  from  their  dwellings 
to  new  lands  nearer  the  setting  sun. 

TREATY  OF   CHICAGO 

The  Treaty  of  Chicago  was  signed  on  September  26,  1833.  By  proclamation 
the  President  of  the  United  States  had  gathered  together  at  Chicago  the  United  Na- 


MAP 

8HOW1NO  T11E 

IXT>IAN  TRIBES 

in 
ILLINOIS 

IN  1812 


From  Blanchard's  "The  Northwest  and  Chicago" 


MAP   SHOWING   THE    INDIAN   TRIBES    IN    ILLINOIS   IN 
1812  AND  BEFORE  THE  INDIAN  REMOVAL 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  203 

tion  of  Pottawattomies,  Chippewas,  and  Ottawas  for  a  council  to  be  held  on  Sep- 
tember 10,  1833.  The  purpose  of  this  was  to  make  a  treaty  whereby  the  Indians 
would  cede  to  the  United  States  all  the  land  remaining  to  them  on  this  side  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  remove  to  lands  given  them  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Missouri 
river.  The  necessity  for  this  had  been  made  clear  by  the  coming  of  increasingly 
greater  numbers  of  Easterners,  who  were  settling  on  land  which  the  Indians  had 
occupied  and  now  threatened. 

By  the  time  appointed  the  Indians  had  assembled  at  Chicago  in  hundreds,  and 
with  them  a  multitude  of  those  white  people  who  expected  to  take  advantage  of 
the  offer  of  the  government  to  make  good  losses  of  all  kinds  that  had  been  suffered 
in  connection  with  the  Indians.  Everywhere  were  Indian  wigwams ;  the  encamp- 
ment overspread  the  village,  covered  the  river  bank,  occupied  the  lake  shore  and 
extended  back  over  the  prairie  and  into  the  woods.  Of  the  countless  agents,  traders 
and  adventurers  who  had  come  to  get  what  spoils  they  could  at  this  distribution, 
some  presented  claims  for  lost  property  averred  to  have  been  stolen  by  Indians; 
others  were  there  as  land  speculators;  others  to  trade  with  the  Indians  when  drink 
should  have  made  them  regardless  of  the  spending  of  the  silver  half  dollars  that 
came  to  them  in  the  payment.  Those  who  were  present  to  conduct  negotiations 
on  behalf  of  the  government  were  housed  in  the  fort  and  in  hastily  constructed 
huts  made  for  their  accommodation. 

THE    ENCAMPMENT 

An  account  of  this  picturesque  event  has  been  written  by  Charles  J.  Latrobe,  the 
English  traveller  and  author,  who  was  present  at  the  gathering,  and  whose  complete 
and  lively  description  is  the  basis  for  this  narrative. 

The  council  had  opened  with  the  statement  from  the  principal  commissioner, 
Governor  George  B.  Porter  of  Michigan  Territory,  that  "as  their  great  father  in 
Washington  had  heard  that  they  wished  to  sell  their  land,  he  had  sent  commissioners 
to  treat  with  them."  To  this  they  replied  that  their  "great  father  in  Washington 
must  have  seen  a  bad  bird  which  had  told  him  a  lie,  for  that  far  from  wishing  to 
sell  their  land,  they  wished  to  keep  it."  The  commissioner,  urging  that,  neverthe- 
less, as  they  had  come  together  for  a  council,  they  must  take  the  matter  into  con- 
sideration, prepared  to  state  his  terms.  But  as  there  was  a  passing  cloud  in  the  sky 
the  chiefs  refused  to  continue  negotiations,  and  adjourned  sine  die. 

For  many  days  it  was  impossible  to  gather  the  Indians  in  council,  owing  to  bad 
omens  that  continued  to  present  themselves.  In  the  meantime  life  at  populous  Chi- 
cago was  chaotic ;  all  day  there  were  feasting  and  games  and  clamor  or  barter ;  all 
night  there  was  dancing  and  yelling.  As  negotiations  for  the  treaty  had  begun,  the 
government  supplied  daily  rations  to  the  Indians,  and  all  was  well  with  them ;  the 
first  night,  in  abandoned  joy,  they  danced  the  war  dance,  and  whooped  and  sang 
about  the  village.  During  the  whole  period  of  the  encampment  the  forbidden  whis- 
key was  sold  to  the  Indians,  and  this,  too,  in  full  view  and  knowledge  of  the  com- 
missioners. Many  traders  made  preparations  to  have  a  great  supply  of  this  com- 
modity so  disastrous  to  the  Indian,  which  they  sold  to  him  for  exorbitant  prices. 
Not  only  this,  but  they  found  him,  intoxicated,  a  ready  and  open  handed  customer 
for  any  other  goods  that  attracted  his  eye.  So  did  these  worthies  ply  their  trade. 


204  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

The  scene  during  the  encampment  was  an  epitome — a  condensation  in  time  and 
space  of  most  of  the  elements  and  experiences  of  Indian  life.  "Far  and  wide  the 
grassy  prairie  teemed  with  figures ;  warriors  mounted  or  on  foot,  squaws,  and  horses. 
Here  a  race  between  three  or  four  Indian  ponies,  each  carrying  a  double  rider, 
whooping  and  yelling  like  fiends.  There  a  solitary  horseman  with  a  long  spear,  tur- 
baned  like  an  Arab,  scouring  along  at  full  speed ;  groups  of  hobbled  horses ;  Indian 
dogs  and  children;  or  a  grave  conclave  of  gray  chiefs  seated  on  the  grass  in  consul- 
tation. It  was  amusing  to  wind  silently  from  group  to  group,  here  noting  the  raised 
knife,  the  sudden  drunken  brawl  quashed  by  the  good-natured  and  even  playful  in- 
terference of  the  neighbors ;  there  a  party  breaking  up  their  encampment,  and  fall- 
ing, with  their  little  train  of  loaded  ponies  and  wolfish  dogs,  into  the  deep,  black 
narrow  trail  running  to  the  north." 

Meanwhile  no  progress  was  made  with  the  treaty.  Each  day  the  signal  gun  at 
the  fort  was  fired  to  call  the  chiefs  together,  and  each  day  an  unpropitious  omen 
forbade  their  responding.  Finally,  on  the  21st  of  September,  late  in  the  afternoon, 
the  council  fire  was  lighted  in  a  large  open  shed  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river.  The 
chiefs  sat  at  one  end  of  the  enclosure ;  at  the  other  end  were  the  government  com- 
missioners (G.  B.  Porter,  Thomas  J.  V.  Owen,  and  William  Weatherford),  besides 
interpreters  and  visitors.  After  some  bickering  and  speeches  of  more  or  less  vio- 
lence from  a  few  Indians,  the  treaty  was  agreed  to,  by  which  these  original  propri- 
etors of  the  country,  degraded  beyond  their  former  state  after  years  of  contact  with 
white  men,  were  giving  up  the  land  which  had  immemorially  been  theirs,  and  agree- 
ing to  leave  it  forever  to  changes  and  to  people  they  know  not  of.  Each  chief  in  sign- 
ing put  "his  X  mark"  to  the  treaty,  which  was  also  signed  by  the  government 
commissioners. 

This  was  on  September  26th,  and  on  May  22nd  following  the  treaty  was  ratified. 
By  its  terms  the  Indians  ceded  to  the  United  States  all  lands  claimed  by  the  United 
Nation  east  of  the  Mississippi,  supposed  to  be  about  five  millions  of  acres.  In  re- 
turn they  were  to  receive  as  much  land  as  they  relinquished,  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
Missouri  river,  this  land  being  located  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  present  state 
of  Iowa  and  the  northwestern  part  of  the  present  state  of  Missouri.  The  country 
thus  assigned  to  them  was  to  be  inspected,  previous  to  the  removal,  by  a  deputation 
of  not  more  than  fifty  persons  accompanied  by  five  United  States  agents.  The  gov- 
ernment undertook  the  expense  of  this  deputation  and  of  the  entire  removal,  and 
agreed,  moreover,  to  provide  subsistence  to  the  Indians  for  one  year  after  their  ar- 
rival at  their  new  homes.  Payments  also  were  to  be  made,1  "one  hundred  thousand 
dollars  to  be  paid  in  goods  and  provisions,  a  part  to  be  delivered  on  the  signing  of 
this  treaty,  and  the  residue  during  the  ensuing  year;  two  hundred  and  eighty  thou- 
sand dollars  to  be  paid  in  annuities  of  fourteen  thousand  dollars  a  year,  for  twenty 
years ;  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  to  be  applied  to  the  erection  of  mills, 
farm-houses,  Indian  houses,  and  blacksmiths'  shops,  to  agricultural  improvements, 
to  the  purchase  of  agricultural  implements  and  stock,  and  for  the  support  of  such 
physicians,  millers,  farmers,  blacksmiths  and  other  mechanics,  as  the  President  of 
the  United  States  shall  think  proper  to  appoint;  seventy  thousand  dollars  for  pur- 
poses of  education  and  the  encouragement  of  the  domestic  arts,  to  be  applied  in  such 
manner  as  the  President  of  the  United  States  may  direct." 

1  From  Article  2  of  Treaty  of  1833. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  205 

In  the  articles  supplementary  to  the  treaty  is  one  which  provides  for  the  pay- 
ment of  "twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  in  addition  to  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  dollars,  contained  in  the  said  treaty,  to  satisfy  the  claims  made  against 
all  composing  the  United  Nation  of  Indians,  which  they  have  admitted  to  be  justly 
due.  and  directed  to  be  paid  according  to  schedule  B,  to  the  treaty  annexed."  The 
list  of  names  of  those  who  appear  in  Schedule  B  as  creditors  to  the  United  Nation, 
either  by  debt  or  damage  suffered,  for  sums  ranging  from  $20  to  $5,000,  is  an  alarm- 
ingly extensive  one,  and  there  has  been  much  merited  doubt  concerning  the  justice 
and  honesty  of  the  claims  of  certain  ones.  By  signing  the  treaty  the  Indians  en- 
dorsed these  claims  against  themselves,  whether  they  realized  it  or  not,  and  the  pay- 
ments were  made.  Speaking  of  the  treaty  negotiations,  Hurlbut  writes  of  the  ex- 
pressions of  an  early  resident  here  who  "was  familiar  with  the  whole  proceedings, 
and  whose  ideas  of  the  business  scarcely  accord  with  those  who  would  commend  the 
action  of  our  government  officials  on  that  occasion."  This  eye-witness  said:  "You, 
or  hardly  any  other  man,  can  imagine  what  was  done,  or  how  ridiculously  the  whole 
thing  was  carried  on  or  closed  up.  It  should  have  been  conducted  upon  principles 
of  truth  and  justice;  but  the  whole  thing  was  a  farce,  acted  by  those  in  office  in  our 
Government." 

REMOVAL   OF    THE    INDIANS 

It  was  stipulated  that  immediately  on  the  ratification  of  the  treaty  the  Indians 
should  leave  the  land  ceded  by  them  and  lying  within  the  state  of  Illinois.  The 
country  north  of  the  boundary  line  of  that  state  they  could  inhabit  without  molesta- 
tion for  not  longer  than  three  years.  Op  one  pretext  and  then  another  the  removal 
was  delayed  from  season  to  season,  the  Indians  pleading  that  they  must  gather  their 
crops,  visit  their  old  hunting  grounds  once  more,  remain  near  the  burial  places  of 
their  dead — and  many  another  excuse  given  by  these  simple  creatures  reluctant  to 
be  sent  away  from  all  that  was  familiar  to  them.  Finally  the  government  agent, 
Major  Sibley,2  issued  word  to  the  Indians  of  this  region  that  the  time  for  their  re- 
moval had  come,  and  they  must  meet  him  in  Chicago  in  the  summer  of  1835.  There 
they  were  to  receive  their  payments,  and  then  be  taken  by  the  agent  to  their  new 
homes  beyond  the  Mississippi  river.  Major  Sibley  succeeded  that  year  in  collecting 
about  one-half  of  the  total  number  of  5,000  Indians.  While  awaiting  the  arrival  of 
the  goods  for  paying  them  off,  many  of  the  Indians,  tired  of  lounging  about  the 
streets,  withdrew  to  the  woods  west  of  the  prairie  until  the  time  for  payment.  Dur- 
ing their  stay  in  the  village,  about  eight  hundred  of  the  braves  danced  their  last  war 
dance  in  Chicago  for  the  benefit  of  the  residents  there.  In  September,  1835,  the 
government  agent  advertised  for  "ox  teams  and  covered  wagons,  to  remove  the  In- 
dians," and  the  start  was  at  length  made.  During  the  fall  they  were  established 
on  the  lands  assigned  them  near  the  Council  Bluffs. 

The  task  of  gathering  together  the  rest  of  the  Indians  in  the  following  summer, 
preparatory  to  their  removal  West,  would  have  been  very  great  had  not  Billy  Cald- 
well,  brave  in  sacrifice  and  loyal  to  the  interests  of  the  whites,  told  them  that  he, 
too,  intended  to  go  with  them,  leaving  the  land  they  all  loved  and  sharing  their  hard- 
ships in  a  strange  home.  He,  with  J.  B.  F.  Russell,  the  government  agent  at  that 
time,  effected  the  peaceful  departure  of  the  Indians,  taking  some  by  steamboat  from 


2  Fergus:    14:  33. 


206  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

St.  Louis  to  the  Council  Bluffs,  and  gathering  numbers  as  they  proceeded  westward. 
Thus  to  leave  behind  them  the  country  that  had  always  been  theirs  and  to  go 
silently  and  reluctantly  to  a  strange  region  where  they  were  placed  on  reservations 
adjoining,  frequently,  those  of  some  ancient  enemy,  was  heart-breaking  indeed  to 
many  a  chief  with  his  proud  record  of  victories.  During  the  lifetime  of  Caldwell 
his  wise  and  peaceable  councils  prevailed,  and  there  was  little  disturbance  between 
his  own  brethren  and  hostile  tribes  on  neighboring  reservations. 

The  Indians  were  later  moved  by  the  government  to  Kansas,  and  again  to  the 
Indian  Territory.  By  the  census  of  1900,  the  number  of  Indians  then  in  Illinois 
was  sixteen,  a  meagre  remnant  of  the  numbers  that,  but  three-quarters  of  a  century 
before,  could  claim  this  region  as  their  own,  and  could  assemble  by  thousands  in 
a  mighty  encampment. 

THE    ALLEGORICAL    INDIAN 

In  the  old  time  geographies  and  histories  there  were  often  shown  in  the  frontis- 
pieces allegorical  pictures.  One  of  these  pictures  represented  an  American  Indian 
surveying  an  extensive  landscape  from  an  eminence.  The  landscape  was  diversified 
by  a  great  variety  of  features.  There  were  cities  with  domes  and  spires  and  tall 
chimneys,  shipping  at  the  water  front,  steamers  passing  in  the  harbor,  railroad  trains 
crossing  lofty  viaducts,  and  cultivated  fields  on  the  slopes  of  surrounding  hills, — 
all  these  views  presented  themselves  to  the  thoughtful  gaze  of  the  untutored  red 
man.  What  he  was  thinking  of  was  left  to  the  imagination,  but  it  was  supposed  that 
he  was  contemplating  the  advances  of  the  white  man's  civilization,  the  wonderful 
progress  of  the  arts  of  peace,  and,  perhaps,  by  contrast,  the  inferiority  and  ulti- 
mate doom  of  his  own  race. 

Doubtless  these  old  allegorical  pictures  fairly  represented  the  truth,  common- 
place though  it  may  be,  that  the  white  race  had  won  complete  possession.  It  was 
indeed  a  race  problem  which  was  thus  approaching  its  solution  after  two  centuries 
of  conflict. 

WHARFING    PRIVILEGES 

The  first  map  of  Chicago,  which  the  Canal  Commissioners  had  made  in  1830, 
shows  the  front  of  those  streets  bordering  the  river,  the  "Water  Streets,"  as  they 
were  called,  as  open  to  the  water's  edge.  Some  three  years  after  the  making  of 
this  map,  namely,  March  1st,  1833,  the  General  Assembly  of  Illinois  abolished  the 
Board  of  Canal  Commissioners,  and  it  was  not  until  January  9th,  1836,  that  an 
act  was  passed  creating  another  board  to  prosecute  the  work  of  building  the  canal. 
During  this  interregnum  practically  all  interest  in  the  canal  and  canal  matters 
was  suspended.  Meantime,  says  the  writer  of  a  historical  sketch  in  the  Canal 
Commissioners'  report  for  1900,  "trespassers,  timber  thieves,  squatters  and  spec- 
ulators living  along  the  Chicago  river  and  the  line  of  the  proposed  canal  had  full 
and  undisputed  sway.  Those  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  original  sub-divisions 
at  Chicago  appear  to  have  taken  prompt  measures  to  secure  the  full  benefit  of  this 
opportunity.  Many  pieces  of  state  property  were  appropriated  for  private  use, 
upon  which  were  erected  stores,  dwellings  and  other  private  improvements." 

The  wharfing  privileges  along  the  Chicago  river  were  appropriated  by  the 
Town  Board  of  Trustees,  under  an  act  passed  by  the  legislature  July  llth,  1835, 
which  provided  as  follows:  "Section  6:  The  Board  of  Trustees  [of  the  town  of 


d    § 


a 

H 


o 


8 


o 
p 
to 

K 

a 


I1 

^-  ^-* 

K    X 

9 


X 


x 

d 

X 

d 

t> 

x 

H 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 


207 


Chicago]  shall  have  power  to  lease  the  wharfing  privileges  of  said  town,  giving  to 
the  owner  or  owners,  occupant  or  occupants,  of  the  lots  fronting  the  river  the  pref- 
erence of  sub-privileges." 

"On  November  Mth,  1835,"  says  Colbert,  "the  Board  resolved  to  sell  the 
leases  of  the  wharfing  privileges  in  the  town  for  the  term  of  nine  hundred  and 
ninety-nine  years,"  the  Board  agreeing  to  dredge  the  river  to  the  depth  of  ten 
feet  at  least,  within  four  years  from  the  sale,  and  the  lessees  of  the  privileges  being 
bound  to  erect  a  good  dock,  five  feet  wide  and  three  feet  above  the  water  in  front 
of  each  lot  or  wharfing  privilege  which  was  to  be  kept  open  as  a  tow  or  foot  path. 

These  terms  having  been  agreed  upon  it  remained  to  fix  the  prices,  and  ac- 
cordingly on  the  26th  of  the  same  month  a  sale  of  these  "immensely  valuable 
wharfing  privileges"  was  ordered.  The  minimum  prices  established,  at  which  own- 
ers of  lots  fronting  the  river  had  the  privilege  of  buying,  were  twenty-five  dollars 
a  front  foot  on  South  Water  street,  eighteen  dollars  and  seventy-five  cents  on  North 
Water  street,  and  eighteen  dollars  on  West  Water  street.  "The  men  who  got  rich 
in  buying  such  property  at  such  prices,"  says  Colbert,  "deserve  no  credit  for  specu- 
lative ability."  The  Board  took  secured  notes  for  three  and  six  months  for  the 
first  payment  of  one-fourth  of  the  price,  and  gave  three  years  in  which  to  pay  the 
balance.  However,  the  dockage  fronts  did  not  readily  find  sale,  and  it  was  not 
until  after  several  postponements  that  the  greater  portion  of  them  was  at  length 
disposed  of. 


THE    LEGISLATURE    CALLS   A    HALT 


A  few  days  after  the  passage  of  the  act  creating  a  new  board  of  Canal  Commis- 
sioners the  legislature  apparently  awoke  to  the  fact  that  its  former  action  in  em- 
powering the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Town  of  Chicago  to  dispose  of  wharfing  priv- 
ileges was  inconsistent  with  the  authority  that  should  properly  be  vested  in  the 
Canal  Board.  The  legislature  passed  an  act  to  amend  the  section  previously  quoted 
The  effect  of  this  amendment  quite  altered  the  situation,  and  naturally  gave  rise 
to  much  litigation.  It  provided  "that  so  much  of  the  sixth  section  of  the  act  to  which 

his  is  an  amendment,  relating  to  the  powers  of  the  trustees  of  said  town  to  lease 
the   wharfing  privileges  shall  not  be  so   construed  as   to  empower   said  trustees   to 

Mate  or  make  any  lease  of  said  privileges  for  any  one  term  longer  than  five  years- 

nor  shall  any  lease  as  aforesaid  be  so  construed  as  to  give  any  lessee  power  to  erect 

any  building,  store  house  or  other  buildings  than  a  wharf  for  loading  or  unloading 

•ds,   wares,   merchandise   or  other  articles   on   said   wharfing   privileges,   and   all 

uses,  buildings,  stores  and  out  houses  heretofore  erected  upon  any  ground  or  land 

situate,  lying  and  being  between  the  south  line  of  South  Water  street  and  the  north 

line  of   North  Water  street,  in  said  town  as  laid  out  by  the  commissioners  of  the 

linois  and  Michigan   canal,   shall  be   deemed   nuisances,   and   may  and   shall   be 
abated." 

The  mischief  had  been  done,  however,  and  there  could  not  fail  to  be  a  crop  of 

lawsuits   to   follow  the   contradictory  legislation   above   quoted.      Within   a    decade 

lost  of  the  property,  much  of  which  had  already   changed  hands,  was  in  dispute 

•ther  between  private  parties   and  the  City  of  Chicago,  which  had  meantime  been 

corporated,  or  between  the  city  and  the   Board   of   Canal    Commissioners       "The 

•ties,"    says    Andreas,    "rightly    decided    that    something   must    be   done     and 


208  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

done  quickly,  to  settle  the  validity  of  titles,  as  on  account  of  the  bitter  disputes, 
some  of  the  property  had  been  abandoned  completely,  and  the  benefits  were  being 
derived  to  a  great  extent  by  non-owners." 


TITLES   EVENTUALLY   SETTLED 

Accordingly  an  act  was  passed  February  27th,  1847,  which  was  entitled  "An 
act  to  adjust  and  settle  the  title  to  the  wharfing  privileges  in  Chicago."  The  pre- 
amble of  this  act  states  the  condition  of  affairs  in  clear  language.  "Whereas," 
it  says,  "those  portions  of  land,  or  parts  of  South  Water,  North  Water,  West  Wa- 
ter and  East  Water  streets,  in  the  original  town  of  Chicago  (on  the  sides  of  said 
streets  nearest  the  river)  which  lie  eighty  feet  distance  from  the  lines  of  the  lots 
laid  out  on  the  sides  of  said  streets  furthest  from  the  river,  sometimes  known  as 
the  'wharfing  privileges,'  are  now,  and  have  been  for  a  long  time  past,  made  the 
subject  of  much  controversy  between  different  persons  and  corporations  claiming 
title  to  the  same;  and  whereas,  as  they  are  now  situated,  neither  the  city  of  Chi- 
cago, nor  any  person  or  any  body  incorporate,  derives  any  benefit  from  the  same, 
except  the  persons  who  are  occupying  them,  but  they  are  a  fruitful  source  of  dis- 
cord, dissatisfaction  and  illegal  violence;  and  whereas,  it  is  for  the  benefit  of  all 
parties  claiming  an  interest  therein,  that  the  questions  arising  as  to  the  title  to  the 
same  shall  be  settled  and  determined  as  speedily  as  possible;  now  therefore, 

"Be  it  enacted  by  the  people  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  represented  in  the  General 
Assembly:  That  the  Common  Council  of  the  City  of  Chicago  shall  have  full  power 
and  authority  to  discontinue  and  vacate  any  part  or  portion  [of  the  streets  previ- 
ously named]  .  .  .  and  to  compromise,  adjust  and  determine  all  conflicting 
rights  or  claims  arising  between  the  city  and  any  or  all  persons  and  corporations 
who  are  or  may  be  claimants  of  such  portion  of  said  streets  or  wharfing  privileges." 

It  was  in  consequence  of  the  act  just  quoted,  and  of  an  amendment  to  the  same 
some  years  later,  and  the  adjustments  effected  under  their  authority,  that  the  titles 
to  the  "wharfing  lots  and  privileges"  were  eventually  settled,  so  that  owners  went 
on  and  placed  upon  them  the  buildings  that  we  see  today  along  the  water  fronts 
of  the  Chicago  river. 

FEASIBILITY    OF    A    CANAL 

When  Joliet,  on  his  world-renowned  voyage  of  discovery  in  1673,  passed  over 
the  Chicago  portage  from  the  west  to  the  waters  of  Lake  Michigan,  he  became  im- 
pressed with  the  importance  of  a  waterway  to  connect  the  Mississippi  and  its  tribu- 
taries with  the  great  lakes.  "There  would  be  but  one  canal  to  make,"  said  he,  "by 
cutting  only  one-half  a  league  of  prairie  to  pass  from  the  Lake  of  the  Illinois  [Lake 
Michigan]  into  St.  Louis  river,"  referring  to  the  Desplaines  and  Illinois  rivers.  But 
when  La  Salle  passed  that  way,  in  1682,  he  took  an  unfavorable  view  of  Joliet's 
suggestion.  Among  the  difficulties  would  be,  he  said,  that  there  was  not  water  enough 
either  at  the  entrance  to  the  Chicago  river  or  in  the  channel  of  the  Desplaines  river; 
that  vessels  could  not  resist  the  spring  freshets  in  the  Chicago  river,  "much  heavier 
than  those  in  the  Rhone,"  and  that  periods  of  low  water  and  freezing  up  in  winter 
would  render  navigation  impossible  for  the  greater  part  of  the  time  during  the  re- 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  209 

inaiiider  of  the  year.     He  further  said  that  he  would  not  have  mentioned  the  matter 
in  his  letter  "if  Joliet  had  not  proposed  it  without  regard  to  difficulties."  3 

This  view  was  confirmed  by  Father  Hennepin  in  his  account  of  a  visit  made  about 
the  same  time  to  this  locality.  "The  country  between  the  said  creek  [the  Chicago 
river]  and  the  Divine  [Desplaines]  river  [is  not]  fit  for  a  canal,"  he  wrote  "for 
the  meadows  between  them  are  drowned  after  any  great  rain,  and  so  a  canal  will  be 
immediately  filled  up  with  sands.  And  besides  it  is  impossible  to  dig  up  the  ground 
because  of  the  water,  that  country  being  nothing  but  a  morass." 

For  more  than  a  century  the  struggle  for  existence  smothered  all  dreams  of  com- 
mercial possibilities.  Indian  wars,  wars  between  the  French  and  English,  and  be- 
tween the  English  and  Americans,  prevented  consideration  of  improvements  in  the 
waterways.  The  Treaty  of  Greenville,  in  1795,  provided  that  a  tract  of  lan'd  six 
miles  square,  "at  the  mouth  of  the  Chikago  river,"  be  ceded  to  the  United  States 
by  the  Indians,  and  that  the  tribes  allow  "the  people  of  the  United  States  a  free 
passage  by  land  and  by  water  through  their  country,  along  the  chain  of  posts 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Chikago  to  the  commencement  of  the  portage  between  that 
river  and  the  Illinois,  and  down  the  Illinois  river  to  the  Mississippi."  *  "This 
clause,"  says  Brown  in  his  "Drainage  Channel  and  Waterways,"  "may  be  considered 
the  first  official  suggestion  of  a  canal  across  the  Chicago  Divide." 

During  the  following  years  the  feasibility  of  building  a  canal  was  frequently 
mentioned  in  Congress.  The  plan  was  referred  to  in  the  issue  of  the  Miles'  Regis- 
ter for  August  6,  1814,  as  follows:  "By  the  Illinois  river,  it  is  probable  that  Buf- 
falo, in  New  York,  may  be  united  with  New  Orleans  by  inland  navigation,  through 
Lakes  Erie,  Huron  and  Michigan,  and  down  that  river  [«ic]  to  the  Mississippi. 
fhat  a  route!  How  stupendous  the  idea!  How  dwindles  the  importance  of  the 
artificial  canals  of  Europe,  compared  with  this  water  communication!  If  it  should 
ever  take  place  (and  it  is  said  the  opening  may  easily  be  made),  the  territory  [of 
[llinois]  will  become  the  seat  of  an  immense  commerce,  and  a  market  for  the  com- 
modities of  all  regions."  We  have  already  referred  to  the  Treaty  of  1816,  by  which 
the  Indians  ceded  a  tract  twenty  miles  in  width  at  the  lake,  that  is,  ten  miles  each 
way  from  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river,  and  extending  a  distance  of  some  forty 
miles  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  thus  including  what  would  inevitably  be  the  nat- 
ural route  for  a  canal. 

The  Secretary  of  War,  John  C.  Calhoun,  made  a  report  to  Congress  in  1819,  in 
which  he  mentioned  the  proposed  canal  from  the  Illinois  river  to  Lake  Michigan 
"which  the  growing  population  of  the  state  renders  very  important,"  and  which 
would  be  "valuable  for  military  purposes."  5  On  March  30th,  1822,  Congress  passed 
an  act  "authorizing  the  State  of  Illinois  to  open  a  canal  through  the  public  lands 
to  connect  the  Illinois  river  with  Lake  Michigan,"  at  the  same  time  granting  a  strip 
containing  ninety  feet  of  land  on  each  side  of  the  canal.  The  state  legislature  in 
the  following  year  provided  for  a  board  of  commissioners  to  devise  a  plan  and  adopt 
such  means  as  might  be  required  to  build  a  canal  between  the  Illinois  river  and 
Lake  Michigan.  Engineers  were  employed  who  examined  the  route  and  estimated 
the  cost  at  seven  hundred  thousand  dollars, — an  absurdly  low  estimate. 

3  Cited  by  Brown.    "Drainage  Channel,"  p.  115. 

4  "Indian  Treaties,"   p.  187. 

5  Moses.     "History  of  Illinois,"  Vol.  I,  p.  462. 
Vol.  1—14 


210  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

STATE    LEGISLATION 

This  led  to  the  passage  of  a  law  by  the  General  Assembly  in  1825,  to  incorporate 
the  "Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  Association,"  with  a  capital  of  one  million  dol- 
lars.6 It  was  soon  seen,  however,  that  this  being  a  corporation  for  pecuniary  profit 
to  its  prospective  stockholders,  assistance  could  not  be  expected  from  the  general 
government  as  was  hoped  for,  and  the  act  was  repealed.  In  1827  Congress  granted 
to  the  State  of  Illinois,  "for  the  purpose  of  aiding  her  in  opening  the  canal,"  the 
alternate  sections  of  the  public  lands  on  each  side  of  the  canal  for  five  miles  in  width 
along  its  entire  route.7  A  new  board  of  commissioners  was  provided  for  by  the  leg- 
islature, and  a  new  survey  made  which  resulted  in  an  estimate  of  four  million  dollars 
as  the  cost  of  construction. 

This  staggered  the  promoters  of  the  canal,  and  the  project  slumbered  for  some 
years.  In  1833  the  legislature  abolished  the  board  of  commissioners,  thus  undoing 
its  work  for  the  second  time.  Finally,  in  1835,  it  was  again  decided  to  go  ahead 
with  the  work,  and  on  January  9th,  1836,  the  legislature  passed  an  "act  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,"  and  ordered  an  issue  of  stock  to  the 
value  of  half  a  million  dollars,  for  the  payment  of  which  the  faith  of  the  state  was 
irrevocably  pledged.  It  was  also  provided  in  the  act  that  "the  commissioners  shall 
select  such  places  on  the  canal  route  as  may  be  eligible  for  town  sites,  and  cause  them 
to  be  laid  off  into  town  lots,  including  the  canal  lands  in  or  near  Chicago."  The 
revenue  from  the  canal  when  completed  and  that  from  the  sale  of  the  lands  granted 
by  Congress  was  also  pledged  for  the  payment  of  the  interest  on  the  stock,  and  for 
the  reimbursement  of  the  principal.8 

FINANCING   THE    WORK 

The  commissioners  appointed  were  William  F.  Thornton,  Gurdon  S.  Hubbard, 
and  William  B.  Archer.  They  determined,  on  the  advice  of  the  chief  engineer,  Will- 
iam Gooding,  to  adopt  the  plan  of  a  lake-fed  canal  sixty-feet  wide  at  the  water  level, 
thirty-six  feet  wide  at  the  bottom,  and  having  a  minimum  depth  of  six  feet  of  wa- 
ter.9 Gooding  had  been  formerly  an  engineer  on  the  Erie  Canal,  completed  in  1825, 
which  had  a  depth  of  only  four  feet,  and  convinced  the  commissioners  that  New  York 
had  made  a  mistake  in  constructing  a  canal  inadequate  to  its  rapidly  growing  traffic. 
The  first  plan  under  consideration  had  provided  for  a  depth  of  four  feet,  and  the 
commissioners  adopted  the  plan  of  a  six  foot  canal,  as  advised  by  engineer  Gooding, 

6  J.  W.  Putnam.     "Journal  of  Political  Economy,"   1909,  p.  273. 

7  The  act  of  Congress,  passed  March  30,  1822,  had  granted  to  the  state,  for  the  purpose  of 
opening  a  canal   "to  connect  the  Illinois  river  with   Lake  Michigan,"   a  strip  containing   "ninety 
feet  of  land  on  each  side  of  said  canal,"  for  the  use  of  the  state  in  building  a  canal,  and  "for  no 
other  purpose  whatever."     The  grant  of  "one-half  of  five  sections  in  width,  on  each  side  of  said 
canal,"  under  the  act  of  March  2,  1827,  was  in  addition  to  the  "ninety-foot  strip;"  but  with  power 
under  the  later  act,  "to  sell  and  convey  the  whole,  or  any  part  of  the  said  land,"  for  the  purposes 
aforesaid,  namely:  "for  the  purpose  of  aiding  the  state  in  opening  a  canal  to  unite  the  waters  of 
Illinois  river  with  those  of  Lake  Michigan."     Thus  while   the   "ninety-foot  strip"   could   not   be 
alienated,  but  must  be  used   for   a  canal,  the  alternate  sections  five  miles  each   side  of  the  canal 
could  be  sold  to  aid  the  state  in  building  the  canal  and  a  title  in  fee-simple  given  therefor." — 
(Laws  Relating  to  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  p.  4.) 

8  Brown.    "Drainage  Channel,"  p.  158. 

9  Putnam:    "Journal  of  Pol  it.  Econ."  1909,  p.  277. 


From  ths  Chicago  American. 
5SAGB  OF  TUE  ILLINOIS    AND    MlCIIIGA? 


vuc 


v»cic 


C  A  ]*  A  &    BILL. 

is  with  feelings  of  no  ordinary  pleasure  that 
lave  received  the  intelligence  of  the  passage  ol 
2anal  Bill.  We  were  not  a  little  surprized  from 


By  courtesy  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 


CANAL  BOAT  DRAWN'  BY  HOUSES 

Cut  taken  from  Chicago  Democrat  for  January  20,  1836 


'",    /^"'/Jr'r'/"'  •  '"¥'"'£'""''/'"'*"*"       '  ">'"'*  "'"""/^ts'         ""/"f.     "". 


By  courtesy  of  Chicago  Historical  Sooietv 

ILLINOIS    AND   MICHIGAN   CANAL    STOCK 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  211 

"because  they  were  convinced,"  says  Professor  Putnam  in  his  "Economic  History 
of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,"  "that  the  increased  utility  of  the  larger  canal 
would  more  than  counterbalance  the  increased  cost  of  construction." 

These  two  plans  were  referred  to  in  the  discussions  regarding  the  proposed  canal, 
one  as  the  "shallow  cut,"  the  other  as  the  "deep  cut."  It  began  to  be  realized  by 
the  commissioners  that  the  old  estimate  of  four  million  dollars  as  the  cost  of  the 
proposed  canal  was  entirely  too  low,  but  relying  on  the  great  and  increasing  value 
of  the  land  grants,  reinforced  by  the  pledge  of  the  state's  credit,  they  boldly  went 
ahead  and  let  contracts  for  a  portion  of  the  "Summit  division."  Under  the  condi- 
tions of  the  act  of  January  9,  1836,  the  six  per  cent  canal  bonds  had  become  market- 
able securities,  and  a  loan  of  half  a  million  dollars  was  readily  negotiated  in  New 
York,  at  a  premium  of  five  per  cent.10 

REJOICING    AT    CHICAGO 

There  was  great  rejoicing  in  Chicago  when  the  news  was  received  that  the 
legislature  had  passed  the  law  which  authorized  the  beginning  of  the  work  on  the 
canal.  There  was  now  a  good  prospect  that  at  last  the  dirt  would  begin  to  fly,  and 
that  the  hopes  cherished  through  long  years  of  anxious  waiting  were  to  become  ac- 
complished facts.  The  population  of  Chicago  at  this  time  was  about  3800,  and 
the  town  was  growing  fast.  The  construction  of  a  canal  had  been  the  subject  of  so 
much  discussion  during  the  previous  thirteen  years,  that  great  numbers  of  settlers 
from  the  East  had  been  attracted  to  this  spot  and  the  neighboring  territory;  the 
prevalent  belief  being  that  here  was  to  be  the  gateway  of  an  extensive  commerce, 
and  that  the  canal  would  be  its  principal  artery. 

When  the  construction  of  the  canal  was  at  length  assured,  western  immigration 
received  a  new  impetus, ll  every  avenue  of  approach  and  every  means  of  comr 
munication  being  taxed  to  its  utmost  capacity.  There  were,  indeed,  other  reasons 
for  the  great  influx  of  new  arrivals  in  this  city  and  its  vicinity,  such  as  the  settle- 
ment of  the  Indian  troubles,  the  cheapness  and  fertility  of  the  lands,  and  the 
convenient  access  by  lake  to  eastern  markets  now  that  the  Erie  Canal  was  in  opera- 
tion. But  the  canal  at  this  period  was  uppermost  in  the  thoughts  of  the  people  of 
northern  Illinois,  just  as  a  few  years  later  the  railroads  became  the  object  of  their 
hopes.  "The  Canal,  which  had  excited  public  attention  for  fifteen  years,"  says  the 
Democrat,  "was  to  be  commenced.  .  .  .  The  cares,  labors,  anxieties  and  disap- 
pointments of  the  past  were  forgotten  in  the  joyful  anticipation  of  the  future."  12 
It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  initial  letter  of  the  word  "Canal"  was  always  printed  with 
a  capital  letter  in  the  newspapers  of  that  time. 

MEETINGS    OF    CITIZENS    AT    CHICAGO 

The  act  was  passed  January  9th,  1836,  and  on  the  13th  the  news  reached  Chi- 
cago. A  meeting  was  held  at  the  Tremont  House,  with  Colonel  Richard  J.  Hamil- 
ton in  the  chair.  The  object  of  the  meeting  was  "to  take  into  consideration  the 
propriety  of  making  some  public  demonstrations  of  joy  on  account  of  the  passage 

10  Putnam.    "Jour.  Polit.  Econ."  1909.  pp.  277,  280. 

11  Brown.    "Drainage  Channel,"  p.  151. 

12  The  Chicago  Democrat  Jan.  20,  1836. 


212  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  ANt)  ITS  BUILDERS 

of  the  Canal  bill,"  and  it  was  resolved  "that  a  committee  of  ten  be  appointed  to 
make  arrangements  for  carrying  into  effect  the  objects  of  the  meeting."  The  chair 
appointed  to  this  committee  H.  Pearsons,  J.  H.  Kinzie,  G.  W.  Snow,  J.  C.  Good- 
hue,  A.  Garrett,  G.  W.  Dole,  G.  Kercheval,  G.  H.  Walker,  E.  Peck  and  J.  L. 
Wilson. 

It  was  also  resolved  that  a  gun  be  fired  for  each  of  the  members  of  the  legis- 
lature who  had  voted  for  the  bill;  and  that  the  editors  of  the  two  weekly  papers, 
the  Democrat  and  the  American,  should  be  requested  to  publish  the  names  of  the 
"Ayes"  and  "Nays,"  as  given  on  the  final  passage  of  the  bill;  and  that  the  "Ayes" 
be  printed  in  capital  letters,  and  the  "Nays"  in  small  italics.13  The  American 
complied  with  this  request  in  its  issue  of  the  16th,  and  this  amusing  specimen  of 
typography  is  reproduced  herewith  for  the  entertainment  of  our  readers.  By  this 
it  will  be  seen  that  the  names  of  the  unfortunate  minority  were  not  only  printed  in 
small  italics,  but  that  even  the  initial  letters  of  their  names  appeared  in  the  same 
ignominious  type.  The  Democrat,  whose  day  of  issue  was  on  the  20th,  did  not 
print  the  names  as  requested  in  the  resolutions,  evidently  regarding  it  as  a  need- 
less repetition  of  what  had  already  been  printed  in  the  other  paper. 

THE    DIRT    BEGINS    TO     FLY 

The  day  appointed  for  the  beginning  of  the  work  on  the  canal  was  the  fourth 
of  July,  1836.  On  that  day  there  was  the  usual  Fourth  of  July  celebration  and 
the  occasion  was  taken  advantage  of  to  combine  with  it  the  ceremonies  of  breaking 
ground  on  the  canal.  A  procession  of  leading  citizens  was  formed,  and  the  signal 
for  the  start  was  given  by  firing  three  cannon  shots  from  the  fort.  Some  of  the  peo- 
ple went  by  boats;  others  on  horseback,  in  wagons,  or  afoot,  followed  the  newly 
opened  Archer  road  to  Bridgeport,  where  the  celebration  was  to  be  held.  After  all 
had  assembled  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  read  and  suitable  addresses  de- 
livered. Colonel  William  B.  Archer  had  the  honor  of  turning  the  first  spadeful  of 
earth.14 

It  is  related  by  Gale,  in  his  "Reminiscences,"  that  some  of  the  irrepressible 
youngsters  in  the  crowd  nearly  robbed  their  elders  of  the  glory  of  performing  the 
first  act  in  the  construction  of  the  canal.  Young  Fernando  Jones  and  another  lad 
filled  the  waiting  wheelbarrow  with  "sacred  earth,"  apparently  when  no  one  was 
looking,  and  it  was  presently  discovered  that  they  had  actually  begun  the  work 
themselves.  But  the  boys,  not  being  on  the  program  of  exercises,  were  quietly 
ignored,  and  thus  the  records  fail  to  recognize  their  presence. 

One  of  the  boats  while  on  its  way  to  the  place  of  meeting,  it  is  also  related 
by  Gale,  passed  a  party  of  Irishmen  employed  in  a  brickyard  on  the  east  bank  of 
the  river  at  Adams  Street,  who  insisted  on  being  taken  aboard.  The  boat  being 
crowded  no  stop  was  made.  At  this  they  were  highly  incensed,  and  upon  the  return 
of  the  boat  they  assailed  the  excursionists  with  brickbats.  But  the  party  afloat, 
filled  with  Independence  Day  enthusiasm,  resented  the  attack;  and  the  boat  being 
stopped  some  of  the  offending  Irish  were  gathered  in  and  later  placed  in  the 
"Watch  House." 

13  The  Chicago  American.  Jan.  16,   1836. 

14  Andreas.   "Hist.  Chicago."   Vol.  I,  p.  168. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS          -.        213 

PROGRESS    OF    THE    WORK  ' 

During  the  remainder  of  the  year  little  actual  progress  was  made,  as  roads  had 
to  be  built,  houses  for  laborers  erected,  and  machinery  procured.  Laborers  were 
hard  to  be  found,  so  that  it  became  necessary  to  insert  advertisements  in  eastern 
papers  offering  wages  of  from  twenty  to  twenty-six  dollars  a  month  for  hands.  Va- 
rious acts  of  the  legislature  were  passed  to  provide  funds  as  the  work  made  progress, 
as  it  was  soon  found  that  the  original  amount  of  stock  was  inadequate.  In  1837  the 
great  financial  panic  occurred  which  embarrassed  the  work.  The  State  Bank  of 
Illinois  suspended  specie  payments,  thus  tying  up  a  large  amount  of  canal  money 
which  had  been  realized  from  the  sales  of  securities,  and  from  sales  of  land  at  Chi- 
cago and  along  the  line  of  the  canal.  Further  loans  were  authorized,  but  the  fact 
that  at  about  that  time  the  state,  in  its  efforts  to  finance  a  vast  scheme  of  internal 
improvements,  had  become  deeply  involved  in  debt,  rendered  it  increasingly  difficult 
to  make  further  sales  of  canal  securities. 

Under  an  act  of  the  legislature,  passed  March  2d,  1837,  the  canal  board  became 
elective  by  the  General  Assembly,  and  subject  to  its  control,  instead  of  receiving  its 
appointment  from  the  governor  and  being  subject  to  his  control,  as  its  predecessor 
had  been.  A  new  board  was  created  consisting  of  W.  F.  Thornton,  Jacob  Fry  and 
J.  A.  McClernand;  and  Benjamin  Wright  was  appointed  special  engineer.15  Wright 
made  a  report  strongly  supporting  the  plan  previously  adopted.  "The  Illinois  and 
Michigan  Canal,  as  now  projected  and  under  construction,"  Wright  reports,  "may 
truly  be  considered  as  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  important  in  its  consequences 
of  any  work  of  any  age  or  nation.  .  .  .  It  is  the  shortest  artificial  work  with 
the  least  lockage.  The  climate,  soil,  and  the  capability  of  productions  of  the  coun- 
try which  will  be  benefited  by  the  construction  of  this  work,  will  certainly  equal,  if 
they  do  not  exceed  any  other  part  of  the  United  States ;  and  when  I  view  it  in  this 
light,  I  think  it  justly  merits  to  be  executed  upon  the  best  and  most  permanent  plan, 
and  will  justify  by  its  revenue  any  outlay  which  may  be  put  upon  it  in  reason."  16 

Thus  encouraged  the  commissioners  continued  the  work  with  the  means  at  their 
command.  From  the  proceeds  of  the  earlier  sales  of  bonds  the  board  had,  by  the 
end  of  the  year  1837,  expended  $390,000  in  work  on  canal  construction.  Meantime 
Chicago  had  become  incorporated  as  a  city  (March  4,  1837),  and  its  population  had 
increased  to  4,180.  It  was  now  the  largest  town  in  the  state.  1T  There  was  also  a 
sudden  increase  of  transient  population  along  the  route  of  the  canal  where  work  was 
going  on,  and  great  numbers  of  these  "transients"  became  permanent  settlers.  The 
Indians  had  been  removed  to  their  new  reservations  in  1836,  and  the  people  of  Chi- 
cago regarded  matters  as  greatly  improved  by  their  removal. 

A  traveler  passing  through  Chicago  in  August,  1838,  kept  a  journal  in  which 
he  recorded  some  of  his  observations.  This  traveler  was  Dr.  William  Blanding  of 
Philadelphia,  "a  genial,  cultured  gentleman,"  and  a  copy  of  his  journal  in  manu- 
script is  now  in  the  possession  of  the  Evanston  Historical  Society,  through  the  cour- 
tesy of  W.  J.  C.  Kenyon,  Esq.,  of  Chicago.  "The  Illinois  Canal,"  he  says,  "is  a 
work  of  no  small  labor,  level  as  the  country  is.  Twelve  miles  from  Chicago  is  the 
deepest  cut,  which  is  thirty-two  feet  in  limestone,  of  a  good  quality  for  building  and 

15  Putnam.    "Jour.  Polit.  Econ."  1909  p.  279 

18  Report  of  Canal  Commissioners,   1838,  p.  80. 

"  Moses  &  Kirkland's  "Hist.  Chicago,"  Vol.  I,  p.  102. 


214  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

burning.  ...  By  sinking  the  canal  thus  deep  the  water  from  the  lake  is  used, 
and,  strange  to  tell,  falls  into  the  Mississippi.  ...  But  for  this  rocky  barrier, 
Lake  Michigan  would  soon  find  its  way  by  the  Mississippi  to  the  ocean  and  rob 
Niagara  of  part  of  its  waters." 

MAGNITUDE    OF    THE    UNDERTAKING 

"It  was  a  Herculean  task  that  the  young  state  had  set  for  itself,"  writes  Profes- 
sor Putnam,  "but,  led  on  by  that  large  optimism  which  has  ever  been  characteristic 
of  the  continually  advancing  West,  the  people  of  Illinois  were  not  dismayed  by  the 
magnitude  of  the  undertaking.  With  prophetic  vision  they  beheld  the  completed 
canal  bearing  on  its  placid  waters  the  products  of  the  East,  the  West,  the  North, 
and  the  South;  they  saw  the  cities,  villages,  farms,  and  factories  which  would  ul- 
timately come  into  being  along  its  course.  .  .  .  For  ten  years  the  commercial 
and  industrial  importance  of  the  Erie  canal  had  been  a  familiar  story  to  the  people 
of  Illinois,  and  they  confidently  expected  to  see  that  history  repeated  in  their  own 

state."  18 

Governor  Thomas  Ford  in  his  inaugural  message  to  the  General  Assembly,  De- 
cember 8,  1842,  said,  "if  the  canal  progresses  to  completion,  the  lands  and  lots  and 
water  power  will  be  quadrupled  in  value,  and  the  tolls  alone  would  in  a  short  time 
pay  interest  on  all  the  debt  contracted  for  its  construction."  19  The  committee,  to 
which  was  referred  this  part  of  the  Governor's  message,  approved  the  suggestions 
made,  and  added  the  following  expression:  "The  completion  of  the  canal  will  se- 
cure to  our  farmers  a  rich  reward  for  their  honest  labors,  good  prices  and  a  ready 
sale  for  their  produce,  revive  business,  restore  prosperity,  and  give  a  new  impulse 
to  trade  and  commerce.  Emigration  will  pour  into  the  state,  our  vacant  lands  will 
be  sought  after,  our  wild  prairies  will  be  transformed  into  rich  and  beautiful  farms. 
Capital  will  flow  into  the  country,  industry  will  be  encouraged,  enterprise  will  be 
stimulated,  and  the  citizens  of  Illinois  will  soon  become  prosperous  and  happy." 

The  financial  difficulties  increased,  however,  as  the  work  advanced,  and  though 
the  commissioners  had  performed  wonders  in  obtaining  a  sale  for  canal  securities, 
it  was  found  by  March,  1843,  that  expenditures  could  no  longer  be  met  and  the 
work  on  the  canal  "was  entirely  suspended.21  More  than  five  millions  had  been 
spent  and  the  canal  was  still  far  from  complete.  The  extensive  schemes  of  internal 
improvement  entered  upon  by  the  state  legislature  in  1837  had  by  this  time  brought 
the  credit  of  the  state  to  so  low  an  ebb  that  repudiation  was  freely  discussed  as  a 
possibility.22  While  the  canal  funds  were  kept  separate  from  the  other  state  se- 
curities, and  had  the  canal  lands  as  a  basis  for  their  value,  yet  they  suffered  from 
being  in  bad  company.  Credit  seemed  exhausted,  and  it  was  predicted  that  the 
canal  would  never  be  completed.  A  period  of  gloom  settled  over  the  canal's  pros- 
pects, the  failure  of  the  General  Assembly  to  provide  further  means  for  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  work  being  interpreted  as  the  abandonment  of  the  canal  to  its  fate.23 

18  Putnam.    "Economic  Hist.  111.  &  Mich.  Canal,"  p.  273. 

19  Canal  Commissioners'  Report  for  1900,  p.  196. 

20  Cited  in  Canal  Comr's'  Report  for  1900,  p.  199. 

21  Brown.    "Drainage  Channel,"  p.  195. 

22  Ford.   "Hist.  Illinois,"  p.  381. 

28  Putnam.   "Jour.  Polit.  Econ."  1909,  p.  287. 


euf : 


mttl  Bill 


pleasure  that 


CABT. 


6,   1836. 


ie 

irnrized  r.mi 
,  ai  ihe  larjje 
.  The  proini 
land,  are  the 
z«d  to  ijega 
,  not  exce  d 
lid  i.i  insial. 
rk  it  sh  .1  be 

redeem  ible 
i  year  1860, 

at  the  Bank 
rk,out  of  t-.ie 
cd,  the  pre- 
ick,  the  pro. 
lots,  and  i  he 
to.  consUJu'e 
iitrpotef,  anj 
iletcd.  The 
thr.e  coai. 
iiliissioiieffl  : 
iinjnTssToiuTr, 


Agreeably  to  the  request  in  this  third 
resolution,  we  subjoin  the  ;i\es  and  jia\s. 

SENATE.- — AYES. 

BOND.  CRAIG,  EDWARDS,  EWING, 
FLEHCHER.  GATEWOOI),  HACK- 
Ell,  HERNDON, MAXWELL,  MILLS, 
MITCHELL,  PARISH,  RATTAN, 
STRODE,  THOMAS,  VANCE,  WEA- 
1'HERFORD,  WHlTESiDE,  WILL- 
1AMS-18. 

NAI'S. 

davidaon,    fane,    incgahry,    noel,    servant, 
snider,    Williamson. — 7. 

.     HOUSE. — AYES.    . 

ABLE,  BLACKWELL,  BOWYER, 
BRUWN,  ;;UTLEIl,CARPEN  lER,  of 
SUN&IIH..M,  CLOUD,  DAWSON-,  DH- 
BOJS.DUNN,  ELLIOTT,  FITH1AN, 
FRAZER,  GORDON,  GREGORY, 
HACKLETON,UAMLIN,HAMFTON, 
HERRELD,  HUGHES,  HUN  I\  HEN- 
RY,  LINCOLN,  MANLY,  MOORE, 
MURl'HY,OUTHOUSE,OWEN,l»AGE 
RO»S  SiUART,  SMITH,  TROW ER, 
1  UNiNELL,  TURNEY,  VANDEVAiN- 
TER,  WOOD,  VVYATT,— 38. 

'   NAYS. 

bltickford,  llocklurgcr,  luckmasier,  carpen. 
!er,  dark,  craig,  Cunningham,  karris,  hun- 
ter,  numulhj,  o/iver, porter,  thompson,webb, 
tcliitemde,.  wren,  and  tke  OO~  speaker.— 'IQ. 
GEN  EWING  lia-  been  elected  to  the  Senate  of 
the  Uniir-d  Stutes  to  fill  the  vacancy  occasioned 
b/  Uiiidca  hot' the  MoTf  H.  K  KANK.  Hutini- 
^TTD-V 


I,att  and 

London  pa] 
Nuirenib  r  lu 
VV  e  make  tlu 
cia!  Advertir 

•'The  ne 
asniueh  as 
ligence  tlial 


ciiule  reluri 
lias  OHO  sic 
rupture  bet 
tcrcsss  am 


unexpected 
only  throuj 
rtiugh  tli 


so  many  cl 
authenticity 
the  news  wi 
a  letter  Iroi 
noon,  Novi 
follows: — 

At.  five  o 
Barion,  Ci 
States  of 
demand  to 
of  foreign  a 
for  his  pass 
he  made  tli 
of  the  non 
governmei 
(that  for  t 
well  knowi 

The  Mi 
announces 

Mr.  Bart 

•thcftmctio 

United  Si 


By  courtesy  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 

PASSAGE    IX    T1IK    CHICAGO    AMERICAN    FOR    SATURDAY, 

JANUARY  10,  1836,  SHOWING  HOW  THE  VOTE  ON  THE 

CANAL    QUESTION    WAS    RECORDED 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  215 

DIFFICULTIES  SURMOUNTED 

But  with  three-fourths  of  the  work  done  there  began  to  spring  up  a  new  hope 
that  the  completion  of  the  canal  might  be  accomplished  if  another  loan  could  be 
secured.  The  state's  borrowing  power  was  at  an  end,  but  with  the  substantial  se- 
curity of  the  unsold  canal  lands,  and  the  prospect  of  the  tolls  to  be  received  after 
navigation  had  become  possible,  it  was  reasonably  hoped  that  a  loan  could  be  made 
with  these  guarantees.  The  commissioners  had  already  resorted  to  the  issuance  of 
"scrip,"  which  the  contractors  on  the  work  accepted  for  a  time.  This  scrip  was 
receivable  for  purchases  of  canal  lands  and  much  of  it  was  bought  up  by  specula- 
tors at  a  discount,  but  it  soon  became  a  drug  on  the  market. 

It  was  thought  that  three  millions  of  dollars  would  be  required  for  the  remainder 
of  the  work,  but  no  way  was  seen  by  which  so  large  an  amount  could  be  raised.  In 
this  extremity  the  friends  of  the  canal  bethought  them  of  the  old  "shallow  cut" 
plan.  It  was  reluctantly  agreed  by  every  one  that  this  was  the  only  alternative. 
Much  of  the  "Summit  level" — that  part  of  the  canal  from  Bridgeport  to  Lockport 
— was  already  excavated  in  accordance  with  the  "deep  cut"  plan,  but  the  engineers 
made  an  estimate  that  by  the  "shallow  cut"  for  the  remainder  of  the  work  the  sum 
of  $1,600,000,  would  be  sufficient.  It  was  considered  practicable  to  raise  this  amount 
on  a  pledge  of  the  canal  lands  and  revenues.  After  protracted  negotiations  the  nec- 
essary funds  became  assured.  One  of  the  conditions  which  was  made  by  the  sub- 
scribers to  the  new  loan,  the  amount  of  which  was  to  be  $1,600,000,  was  that  a 
board  of  three  trustees  be  created,  two  of  whom  were  to  be  chosen  by  the  sub- 
scribers to  the  new  loan,  and  one  by  the  governor.  This  arrangement  was  author- 
ized by  the  General  Assembly  and  to  this  board  of  trustees  all  the  property  of  the 
canal  was  turned  over,  to  be  held  and  managed  for  the  benefit  of  creditors,  under 
such  restrictions  as  would  safeguard  the  interests  of  the  state.24  This  board  con- 
sisted of  Captain  W.  H.  Swift,  of  Washington,  and  David  Leavitt,  of  New  York, 
chosen  by  the  creditors,  and  General  Jacob  Fry  as  the  state  member.  In  effect  this 
was  a  "trust"  in  the  old  meaning  of  that  much  abused  term,  and  it  was  continued 
until  the  work  was  completed  and  every  dollar  of  liabilities  paid  off,  as  will  be 
shown  in  a  later  portion  of  this  account. 

THE    WORK    RESUMED    UNDER   A   TRUSTEESHIP 

In  June,  1845,  these  trustees  assumed  the  trust  and  began  preparations  for  re- 
suming the  work  on  the  canal.  The  first  installment  of  the  new  loan  was  called 
for  to  be  paid  in  the  following  September.  It  was  provided  in  the  act  authorizing 
these  new  arrangements  that  the  former  contractors  should  have  priority  of  right 
in  securing  the  contracts  on  their  old  sections,  and  in  August  those  sections  not 
pre-empted  by  the  former  contractors  were  let  to  the  lowest  responsible  bidders.25 
"These  contracts  evidenced  the  change  in  the  economic  condition  of  the  region  since 
1836,"  says  Professor  Putnam.  High  prices  had  prevailed  in  that  year,  a  condi- 
tion which  "was  magnified  in  the  region  of  the  canal  with  its  suddenly  acquired  pop- 
ulation and  its  undeveloped  resources,  and  by  the  necessity  of  importing  all  needed 
supplies.  In  1845  the  country  was  slowly  recovering  from  a  period  of  industrial 

24  Putnam.    "Jour.  Polit.  Econ."  1909,  p.  289. 

25  Putnam.   "Jour.  Polit.  Econ."  1909,  p.  292 


216  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

depression.  Prices  were  relatively  low.  Food  supplies  were  particularly  cheap  in 
the  region  of  the  canal,  where  they  were  now  produced  in  abundance.  As  a  con- 
sequence, although  the  new  estimates  were  far  below  the  earlier  ones,  the  trustees 
experienced  no  difficulty  in  finding  contractors  who  would  undertake  the  work  at 
less  than  the  estimated  cost  of  completing  it."  As  an  instance  of  the  great  decline  , 
in  the  prices  of  food,  the  wages  of  laborers,  and  the  value  of  animals,  during  the 
period  from  the  beginning  of  work  on  the  canal  to  the  time  when  these  contracts 
were  let,  the  following  table  of  comparisons  is  printed  in  the  "Report  of  the  Illinois 
and  Michigan  Canal,"  for  1844:26 

Wages,  Animals,   Foodstuffs.  Cost  in    1836        Cost   in    1843 

Labor    of    man    per    month    (average) $40.00  $16.00 

Horses,   each    100.00  60.00 

Oxen,   per  yoke 80.00  45.00 

Beef,  per  hundred  weight 6.00  3.00 

Pork,    per    barrel 22.00  8.00 

Flour,   per    barrel 1 1 .00  3.50 

An  interesting  statement  on  the  subject  of  prices  prevailing  in  the  years  mentioned 
in  the  above  table  is  found -in  the  recollections  of  John  McCowan,  who  came  West 
with  the  family  of  his  father,  Peter  McCowan,  in  the  spring  of  1835.  The  family 
settled  near  the  present  village  of  Channahon  on  the  line  of  the  canal,  then  in  Cook 
County,  but  afterwards  included  within  the  limits  of  Will  County  when  that  county 
was  organized  in  1836.  When  they  first  came  into  the  country,  said  Mr.  McCowan 
in  an  interview  with  the  writer  in  1902,  the  people  used  corn  meal  and  potatoes  as 
their  principal  food,  and  they  also  had  a  plentiful  supply  of  prairie  chickens  and 
other  game.  Domestic  fowls  were  scarce  at  first,  but  soon  began  to  multiply  rap- 
idly, and,  by  1843,  "they  had  eggs  to  throw  away,"  for  they  could  scarcely  get  two 
cents  a  dozen  for  them  until  work  was  resumed  on  the  canal,  when,  owing  to  the 
presence  of  a  large  number  of  men  on  that  work,  prices  recovered  to  ten  and  twelve 
cents  a  dozen.  .  .  .  Eggs  were  cooked  for  every  meal,"  said  Mr.  McCowan, 
"until  I  was  so  tired  of  them  I  wouldn't  touch  eggs  for  years  afterwards."  In  the 
same  account  it  is  related  that  the  elder  McCowan,  in  1835,  bought  a  yoke  of  oxen 
for  forty-eight  dollars  from  a  man  who  came  from  the  southern  part  of  the  state, 
with  a  wagon  lodd  of  apples  drawn  by  two  yoke  of  oxen.  After  selling  the  apples 
and  one  yoke  of  oxen,  he  returned  with  the  remaining  pair.  The  next  year  the 
same  man  appeared  again  with  apples  and  oxen  for  sale,  finding  that  he  could  get 
better  prices  for  his  produce  and  animals  in  the  newer  settlements  of  the  northern 
counties,  than  in  the  market  towns  of  his  own  neighborhood. 

By  the  act  of  the  legislature  before  referred  to  it  was  required  that  the  canal  be 
completed  within  three  years  after  it  should  be  turned  over  to  the  trustees.  In 
spite  of  delays  caused  by  floods  and  by  an  unusual  amount  of  sickness  among  the 
laborers,  the  work  was  completed  in  the  allotted  time,  and  was  opened  for  naviga- 
tion in  April,'  1848. 

FINANCIAL     CONDITION    OF    THE    CANAL    IN     1843 

The  expenditures  on  the  canal  before  it  was  taken  over  by  the  trustees  amounted 
to  a  little  more  than  five  million  dollars.  An  inventory  of  its  assets  included  the 

26  Cited  by  Putnam,  Ibid.,   p.  292. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  217 

value  of  the  canal  itself,  which  was  considered  worth  five  millions  of  dollars,  that 
is,  the  cost  of  its  construction  up  to  the  time  when  work  upon  it  ceased;  also  230,- 
•176  acres  of  land  worth  ten  dollars  an  acre,  and  3491  lots  in  the  cities  and  towns 
of  Chicago,  Lockport,  Ottawa  and  La  Salle,  valued  at  $1,900,000.  The  total  valu- 
ation thus  arrived  at,  amounting  to  $9,204,670,  was  accepted  by  the  creditors  as 
reasonable  and  safe.  In  addition  to  this  it  was  estimated  that  the  rentals  from  wa- 
ter power  privileges  would  aggregate  from  $75,000  to  $100,000  a  year.  The  esti- 
mates made  for  the  tolls  to  be  paid  by  shippers  were  vague,  but  it  was  anticipated 
that  they  would  be  large,  more  than  $100,000  a  year  at  least.  In  fact  the  average 
receipts  for  tolls  for  thirty  years  after  the  canal  was  in  operation  were  about  $178,- 
000  per  annum,  after  which  period  there  was  a  steady  decline.27 

COMPLETION    OF    THE    CANAL 

On  the  10th  of  April,  1818,  all  was  ready  for  the  passage  of  boats  through  the 
"Summit  Level,"  and  on  that  day  the  "General  Fry"  arrived  at  Chicago  from  Lock- 
port,  passing  down  the  river  amid  the  cheers  of  the  inhabitants.  The  delegation 
from  Lockport  on  board  the  boat  was  welcomed  by  Mayor  Woodworth,  and  an  elo- 
quent speech  was  made  by  Charles  Walker.  Later  in  the  month  boats  were  started 
simultaneously  from  La  Salle  and  Chicago,  meeting  at  Lockport,  where  an  enthusi- 
astic reception  awaited  them.  The  La  Salle  boat,  the  "General  Thornton,"  pro- 
ceeded to  Chicago,  where  it  arrived  on  the  23d,2s  "laden  with  sugar  and  other  goods 
from  New  Orleans  en  route  to  Buffalo."  29  We  can  imagine  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
people  when  they  witnessed  the  fulfillment  of  their  long  cherished  hopes,  and  the 
promise  thus  given  that  Chicago  hereafter  was  to  be  the  chief  point  of  transhipment 
for  goods  and  merchandise,  on  the  route  between  far  distant  regions  of  the  country. 

THE  ERIE  CANAL  OF  NEW  YORK 

The  demonstrations  of  popular  enthusiasm  over  the  culmination  of  the  great 
work  were,  comparable  to  the  joyful  demonstrations  of  the  people  of  New  York 
State,  when  the  Erie  Canal  was  completed  in  1825;  a  description  of  which  reminds 
us  of  the  "pageants"  of  our  own  day.  The  following  account  of  the  picturesque 
proceedings  is  condensed  from  an  article  in  the  Publications  of  the  Illinois  Histor- 
ical Society,  by  Dr.  Bernard  Stuve,  and  will  be  found  interesting  in  this  connection.30 

A  fleet  of  canal  boats  was  made  up  at  Buffalo,  having  New  York  City  for  its 
destination.  One  of  the  boats  was  loaded  with  a  family  of  Indians  from  the  west- 
ern part  of  the  state,  a  live  buffalo  from  the  plains,  a  raccoon,  and  some  prairie 
dogs,  typical  of  the  former  western  products ;  while  the  other  boats  were  loaded  with 
wheat,  oats  and  corn  to  show  what  the  Great  West  was  capable  of  producing.  Others 
still  were  thronged  with  invited  guests,  including  Governor  De  Witt  Clinton  as  the 
chief  figure.  All  the  boats  were  gaily  decorated  with  flags,  and  drawn  by  fine  gray 
horses.  A  cask  of  Lake  Erie  water  was  also  put  aboard. 

The  fleet  started  on  its  way  amidst  the  firing  of  cannon,  music  of  the  band,  and 

27  Putnam.    "Jour.  Polit.  Econ."  1909,  p.  353. 

-8  Fergus'   Hist.  Series,   No.  25,  p.  20. 

2(1  Andreas:   "Hist.  Chicago."  Vol.  I,  p.  171. 

30  Illinois  Historical  Library  Publication,  No.  7,  p.  115. 


218  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

the  cheers  of  the  people  gathered  to  see  the  procession  move.  Cannon  had  been 
placed  within  hearing  distance  of  one  with  another  along  the  route  clear  to  New 
York  City,  and  their  reports  informed  the  people  from  time  to  time  of  the  progress 
of  the  fleet. 

On  reaching  the  Hudson,  the  fleet  was  met  by  a  convoy  of  steamers  and  the 
boats  were  towed  down  the  river,  the  banks  of  which,  at  many  points,  were  crowded 
with  people  who  cheered  them  as  they  passed.  At  New  York  the  whole  city,  appar- 
ently, turned  out  to  welcome  the  first  boats  through  the  canal.  The  fleet  passed  on 
to  Sandy  Hook  at  the  entrance  to  New  York  bay,  where,  after  a  speech  by  Governor 
Clinton,  and  with  music  and  cannon  firing,  the  cask  of  Lake  Erie  water  was  emptied 
into  the  Atlantic,  thus  signalizing  the  union  of  the  waters  of  the  Great  Lakes  with 
the  Atlantic  Ocean.  On  the  return  of  the  fleet  to  the  city,  the  streets  were  illumi- 
nated, followed  by  a  succession  of  banquets,  balls,  and  meetings. 

M'COWAN'S  NARRATIVE 

We  have  already  referred  to  the  recollections  of  John  McCowan,  whose  father 
settled  near  Channahon,  on  the  route  of  the  canal,  in  the  year  1835.  From  this 
account,  as  well  as  from  the  many  oral  traditions  common  in  that  neighborhood, 
we  may  get  an  idea  of  the  fervent  longing  possessed  by  those  people  whose  farms 
adjoined  the  canal,  to  see  the  boats  actually  passing  before  their  eyes,  when  the 
work  should  at  last  be  completed.  During  the  twelve  years  that  the  canal  was 
passing  through  its  construction  period  they  watched  its  progress  with  intense  in- 
terest; and  when  the  channel  was  flooded,  and  the  boats  began  moving  on  their 
courses  within  its  banks,  they  felt  that  their  hopes  and  dreams  were  at  last  realized 
in  the  splendid  achievement. 

In  his  narrative  McCowan  says,  "the  canal  was  completed  in  1847,  but  boats 
did  not  begin  to  run  until  1848.  Mother  never  saw  the  boats  run,  as  she  died 
January  25,  1848,"  that  is,  three  months  before  they  began.  This  was  pathetic 
indeed,  as  no  doubt  she,  like  all  the  people,  had  looked  forward  with  eager  anticipa- 
tion to  the  happy  day  when  she  could  see  the  boats  passing ;  and  it  shows,  too,  what 
a  strong  hold  the  canal  had  upon  the  mind  and  imagination,  that  McCowan  should 
speak  of  his  mother's  death  in  such  a  connection.  Old  Captain  Willard,  one  of  the 
early  settlers,  and  once  an  owner  of  sloops  on  the  Hudson,  saw  three  or  four  of  the 
boats  pass  before  his  death,  which  occurred  in  April,  1848.  "He  saw  them  from 
his  bed  as  he  sat  up,"  says  the  account;  the  last  earthly  interest  he  had  being  to 
witness  with  his  own  eyes  those  harbingers  of  a  new  era. 


DESCRIPTION    OF  THE    CANAL 


The  canal  thus  completed  was  ninety-seven  and  a  quarter  miles  long  from 
Bridgeport,  at  the  head  of  the  canal  on  the  South  Brancli  of  the  Chicago  River,  to 
La  Salle.  At  the  latter  point  canal  boats  could  pass  down  the  Illinois  River  to  the 
Mississippi.  The  canal  had  been  completed  on  the  "shallow-cut"  plan,  that  is  with 
a  minimum  depth  of  four  feet,  though  in  later  years,  as  we  shall  see,  it  was  deepened 
to  six  feet.  Owing  to  the  adoption  of  the  "shallow-cut"  plan,  when  work  on  the 
canal  was  resumed  in  1845,  it  had  been  found  that  the  gravity  flow  from  Lake 
Michigan  was  not  sufficient  to  keep  the  water  in  the  canal  at  its  proper  stage.  Pump- 


Ninety  dayss'afler  date,  ptty  to  the  order  of-&* 
Treasurer  of  the  Illinois  Sf  'Michigan   Canal, 
cltarge  l/te  same  to  the  Catial  Fund.     Lockp 


Uf.nnt  Jj  State  Banft  at 

of  inel^,  a^a.  oftev  date,  [uuj.  to  tK<i^u)e>.  of   JL* 

of     tfi«    Sftuux*     ^    US/ufclcfviq  mi  f@anaf  ,   Ten  Dollars, 

to  tRe    (cana£  t^uiu). 


iq* 


By  courtesy  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 


CANAL  "SCRIP''   ISSUED  BY  COMMISSIONERS  AND  ACCEPTED  BY 
CONTRACTORS  AS  PAYMENT 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  219 

ing  works  were  therefore  installed  at  Bridgeport  during  the  last  year  of  the  work, 
and  their  service  proved  to  be  satisfactory  for  the  purpose.  The  canal  has  seven- 
teen locks  to  overcome  the  difference  in  level  between  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Illi- 
nois River  at  La  Salle.  This  difference  amounts  to  one  hundred  and  forty-five 
feet.  The  locks  on  the  completed  canal  were  110x18  feet,  and  provided  for  the 
passage  of  boats,  with  a  carrying  capacity  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  tons. 
The  state  has  never  attempted  to  transport  passengers  or  freight  on  the  canal. 
Having  furnished  the  route,  it  has  left  the  work  of  transportation  to  individuals 
and  corporations. 

REVIEW  OF   THE    WORK 

Nearly  twelve  years  had  elapsed  since  the  work  on  the  canal  was  in  process  of 
construction,  from  July  4,  1836,  when  ground  was  first  broken  at  Bridgeport,  to 
April  23,  1848,  when  the  first  trip  of  the  "General  Thornton"  over  the  entire  length 
of  the  canal  was  completed,  a  period  as  long  as  will  be  required  for  building  the 
great  interoceanic  canal  at  Panama,  since  the  United  States  assumed  control  of 
that  work.  "Chicago  and  the  State  of  Illinois  owe  much  to  it,"  says  Brown,  "for 
it  was  the  corner  stone  of  their  prosperity.  .  .  .  Chicago  really  owes  its  ex- 
istence to  the  canal.  ...  Its  advantageous  location  was  not  fully  realized  un- 
til the  canal  was  completed."  31 

It  will  be  remembered  that  when  the  work  of  construction  was  resumed  in  1845 
on  the  "shallow-cut"  plan,  the  sum  of  $1,600,000,  was  borrowed  on  the  security 
of  the  canal  lands  and  the  canal  itself,  which  was  far  advanced  towards  completion; 
and  that  a  trust  was  formed  under  the  control  of  three  trustees,  two  of  whom  were 
appointed  by  the  subscribers  to  the  loan,  and  one  by  the  state.  When  the  canal 
was  completed  it  was  found  that  the  cost  of  the  work  since  its  resumption  was  well 
inside  the  estimate,  and  the  trustees  had  a  balance  remaining  of  over  $170,000.  In 
other  words,  since  the  assumption  of  their  responsibilities,  the  trustees  had  spent 
only  $1,430,000,  of  the  amount  raised  on  the  loan  of  $1,600,000.  The  amount  that 
had  been  spent  on  the  work  when  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  trustees  was  $5,039,- 
248.  Add  to  this  the  amount  expended  by  the  trustees  and  the  total  cost  of  con- 
struction is  thus  seen  to  have  been  $6,469,248. 32 

In  a  general  review  of  the  economic  history  of  the  canal,  Professor  Putnam  writes 
concerning  the  conduct  of  affairs  up  to  the  time  of  the  suspension  of  work,  in 
1843,  as  follows:  "The  financial  management  of  the  canal  has  generally  been 
honest  and  reasonably  efficient ;  but  it  has  not  always  been  above  criticism  from 
the  standpoint  of  policy  adopted  or  methods  used.  During  the  period  of  construc- 
tion, the  ever-present  financial  problem  led  to  the  trial  of  unsound  financial  ex- 
pedients. .  .  .  The  responsibility  for  these  expedients  rests  partly  with  the 
board  and  partly  with  the  General  Assembly.  The  issuance  of  canal  scrip  is  a 
case  in  point.  As  is  usual  in  such  cases,  the  scrip  was  over-issued  and  consequently 
suffered  a  heavy  depreciation,  casting  an  undue  burden  upon  the  men  least  able  to 
bear  it.  namely,  the  laborers.  The  contractors  were  paid  in  scrip,  but  they  were 
able  to  pass  it  on  to  the  laborers  in  payment  of  wages.  The  laborers  either  used 
it  in  making  purchases  of  necessaries  of  life,  the  price  of  which  was  raised  to  cover 

31  Brown.   "Drainage  Channel  and  Waterway,"  p.  201. 

32  Putnam.   "Ecomic  Hist.  111.  and  Mich.  Canal,"  p.  293. 


'220  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

the  depreciation  of  the  scrip,  or  sold  to  speculators  for  cash  at  a  discount.  In 
either  case,  the  laborer  bore  the  chief  part  of  the  burden  of  depreciation. 

"The  General  Assembly  which  authorized  such  a  course  was  not  blameless,  but 
the  administration  of  the  act  lay  with  the  commissioners. '  The  act  was  rather  per- 
missive than  mandatory,  and  the  amount  of  the  issue  was  entirely  within  their  con- 
trol. It  may  be  urged,  however,  in  extenuation  of  the  policy,  that  no  other  means 
was  available  at  the  time  for  continuing  the  work  on  the  canal;  and  that  a  sus- 
pension of  operations  would  have  been  much  more  disastrous  to  the  contractors,  and 
certainly  to  all  the  laborers,  who  could  not  readily  find  work  elsewhere,  than  the 
depreciation  of  the  scrip  proved  to  be.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  inevitable  result  of 
the  policy  adopted  was  the  practical  reduction  of  the  wages  of  the  laborers  and 
the  development  of  a  class  of  land  speculators  at  the  expense  of  the  laboring  men, 
who  were  forced  by  the  necessities  of  life  to  cash  their  scrip  for  whatever  it  would 
bring.  Men  with  ready  money  were  enabled  to  purchase  scrip  at  a  heavy  discount, 
and  use  it  in  payment  for  canal  lots  or  lands  at  face  value."33 

The  very  excellent  treatise  of  Professor  J.  W.  Putnam,  published  in  the  "Jour- 
nal of  Political  Economy"  (University  of  Chicago  Press),  for  the  months  of  May, 
June  and  July,  1 909,  under  the  title  of  "An  Economic  History  of  Illinois  and  Mich- 
igan Canal,"  contains  a  very  complete  account  of  the  canal  from  its  inception,  and 
throughout  its  entire  history  down  to  the  present  time.  Another  volume  of  great 
value  on  this  subject  is  that  of  Mr.  G.  P.  Brown,  published  in  1894,  under  the  title 
of  "The  Drainage  Channel  and  Waterway,"  which  gives  a  history  of  the  Illinois 
and  Michigan  Canal,  down  to  the  date  of  the  publication  of  his  book.  The  author 
acknowledges  his  indebtedness  to  these  sources  in  the  preparation  of  this  chapter, 
as  well  as  to  the  regular  publications  of  the  Canal  Commissioners. 


31  Putnam.    "Economic  Hist.  III.  and  Mich.  Canal,"  p.  341. 


CHAPTER  XII 

GROWTH  OF  CHICAGO  DURING  THE  THIRTIES 

CHICAGO  INCORPORATED  AS  A  TOWN LIMITS  OF  THE  TOWN  EXTENDED— FUNCTIONS  OF 

COUNTY  AND  TOWN  GOVERNMENT LAST  YEAR  OF  TOWN  GOVERNMENT CHICAGO 

INCORPORATED  AS  A  CITY PROVISIONS  OF  THE   CHARTER FIRST  CITY  ELECTION 

AND  CENSUS CHART  OF  EVENTS THE  TWO  INCORPORATIONS PURPOSES  OF  A  CITY 

CHARTER EARLY  SYSTEM  OF  SURVEYS TOWNSHIP  SYSTEM  OF  SURVEYS TOWNSHIPS 

AND  SECTIONS FIRST  PLAT  OF  CHICAGO INTERESTING  FEATURES  OF  THE   PLAT 

SALES  OF  LOTS  IN  THE  NEW  SUBDIVISION CONDITIONS  AT  TIME  OF  SALE CHART  OF 

LOTS VALUES    OF    PROPERTY EARLY    STREET    NAMES CONTEMPORARY    EVENTS 

CANAL  COMMISSIONERS  AND   CANAL  TRUSTEES WINTER  OF  THE  DEEP  SNOW SUF- 
FERINGS IN  THE  WINTER  SEASON TRAGEDIES  OF  THE  COLD WINTER  ADVENTURES 

— HOFFMAN'S  VISIT  TO  CHICAGO — WINTER  SPORTS  IN  CHICAGO — A  WOLF  HUNT—  -A 

WOLF  DRIVE INCREASED   COMMERCIAL   ACTIVITIES  IN   THF.   THIRTIES BEGINNING 

OF  THE  SPECULATIVE  MANIA CAUSES  OF  ADVANCE  IN  VALUES CONDITIONS  IN  1836 

SPECULATION  FEVER GROWTH  OF  THE  CITY  CHECKED WILD  CAT  CURRENCY 

VARIOUS  SCHEMES  OF  INFLATION CAUSES  OF  THE  PANIC THE  PANIC  IN  CHICAGO 

EXTERNAL    ASPECT    OF    THE    CITY LAKE    HOUSE    AND   TREMONT    HOUSE FIRES 

STAGE  ROADS  TO  THE  EAST TAVERNS  ON  THE  ROAD STAGE  ROADS  TO  THE  NORTH • 

STAGE  ROADS  TO  THE  WEST SOCIETY  OF  THE  EARLY  DAYS. 

CHICAGO  INCORPORATED  AS  A  TOWN 

N  AUGUST  12,  1833,  the  Town  of  Chicago  was  incorporated,  that  being 
the  date  of  the  first  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  This  board  con- 
sisted of  Thomas  J.  V.  Owen,  president,  George  W.  Dole,  Madore  B. 
Beaubien,  John  Miller,  and  E.  S.  Kimberley.  Isaac  Harmon  was  appointed 
clerk  of  the  board.  The  first  boundaries  of  the  town  were  those  of  the 
Canal  Commissioners'  first  subdivision,  as  shown  on  "Thompson's  Plat,"  namely, 
Kinzie,  Desplaines,  Madison  and  State  streets,  embracing  an  area  of  about  three- 
eighths  of  a  square  mile.1 

The  incorporation  of  the  Town  of  Chicago  was  made  possible  by  an  act  of  the 
legislature,  passed  February  12th,  1831,  by  the  provisions  of  which  citizens  of  any 
community  of  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  inhabitants  were  authorized  to  incorporate 
as  a  town,  with  limits  not  to  exceed  one  square  mile  in  extent. 

Soon  after  its  incorporation,  that  is,  on  November  6th,  1833,  the  limits  of  the 
new  town  were  extended  so  as  to  embrace  an  area  of  seven-eighths  of  a  square  mile, 
thus  keeping  safely  within  the  limits  specified  in  the  general  act.  These  new  and 

1  Canal  Commissioners'  Report  for  1900,  p.  252. 

221 


222  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

enlarged  boundaries  were  in  general  as  follows:  The  boundary  on  the  north  was 
Ohio  street,  that  on  the  west  was  Jefferson  street,  that  on  the  south  Jackson  street, 
and  that  on  the  east  State  street  as  far  as  the  river,  and  thence  north  along  the 
lake  shore.  This  irregular  eastern  boundary  was  made  necessary  to  avoid  including 
the  military  reservation  within  which  the  fort  was  situated.  It  will  be  seen  that 
although  the  boundaries  were  thus  extended  on  three  sides,  the  western  boundary 
was  placed  at  Jefferson  street,  thus  cutting  off  the  six  blocks  numbered  10,  11,  25, 
26,  47 'and  48,  lying  west  of  Jefferson  street.  This  was  rendered  necessary  in  order 
to  keep  within  the  "one  square  mile"  limit  of  the  act,  while  adding  rapidly  growing 
districts  to  its  area  in  other  directions.  The  curtailed  portion,  however,  was  again 
placed  within  the  limits  of  the  town,  as  we  shall  see,  in  the  next  extension  of  its 
area. 

LIMITS    OF    THE    TOWN    AGAIN    EXTENDED 

Even  at  that  early  period  Chicago  began  to  show  a  wonderful  expansion  in 
population  and  trade,  and  before  the  end  of  another  year  its  population  was  esti- 
mated at  about  two  thousand,  a  newspaper  had  been  established,  lake  commerce 
was  becoming  important,  and  building  operations  were  very  active.  This  phe- 
nomenal rate  of  increase,  and  the  prospects  for  a  continuation  of  its  growth,  made 
felt  the  need  of  extending  the  powers  of  the  trustees.  In  order  to  increase  the 
area  of  the  town  a  special  act  of  the  legislature  was  passed  February  11,  1835, 
and  under  its  provisions  another  extension  of  the  area  of  the  town  was  made.  The 
enlarged  boundaries  were  as  follows:  the  boundary  on  the  north  was  Chicago 
avenue;  that  on  the  west  Halsted  street;  that  on  the  south  Twelfth  street,  and  that 
on  the  east  the  shore  of  the  lake,  excepting  the  military  reservation,  thus  enclosing 
an  area  of  about  two  and  two-fifths  square  miles  within  its  limits. 

The  number  of  trustees  was  increased  to  nine,  with  enlarged  functions  and 
powers.  The  new  board  prohibited  gaming  houses,  and  the  sale  of  liquors  on 
Sundays,  provided  for  public  cemeteries,  made  police  and  fire  regulations,  and 
adopted  an  official  seal.  As  the  town  consisted  for  the  most  part  of  flimsy  frame 
structures,  the  care  of  the  trustees  was  especially  directed  against  the  danger  from 
fire.  No  person  was  allowed  to  endanger  the  public  safety  by  passing  a  "stove 
pipe  through  the  roof,  partition  or  side  of  any  building,"  unless  guarded  by  an  iron 
shield.  All  persons  were  forbidden  to  carry  open  coals  through  the  streets  except 
in  a  covered  fire-proof  vessel.2  In  the  year  1836  was  erected  a  one-story  and  base- 
ment brick  building  for  a  courthouse  on  the  public  square.  This  building  was 
classic  in  its  style  of  architecture,  the  pediment  being  supported  by  four  Doric 
columns,  and  the  portico  approached  by  a  flight  of  steps  the  full  width  of  the 
building.  This  handsome  structure  fronted  east  on  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
public  square.  The  county  offices  were  in  the  basement,  while  the  courtroom,  which 
was  above,  was  one  large  apartment,  capable  of  seating  two  hundred  persons.3 

FUNCTIONS    OF     COUNTY    AND     TOWN     GOVERNMENT 

It  should  be  remembered,  however,  that  the  County  Commissioners  of  Cook 
County  were  also  exercising  their  functions  within  the  usual  limitations  of  county 

2  Grosser. 

3  Andreas:  I,   176. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  223 

government.  The  scope  of  authority  exercised  by  the  two  forms  of  government, 
one  within  the  other,  are  set  forth  by  Greene  in  his  work  "Government  of  Illinois," 
as  follows:  The  county  board  is  primarily  a  legislative  body  acting  under  the  laws 
of  the  state,  on  the  broad  general  principle  of  American  politics,  that  "the  people 
of  anv  particular  district  or  community  ought,  so  far  as  possible,  to  manage  its 
own  affairs."  The  county  board  has  the  right  to  lay  a  limited  amount  of  taxes,  it 
must  maintain  a  system  of  county  courts,  and  its  officers  must  execute  the  orders 
of  the  said  courts.  It  must  keep  a  record  of  deeds  to  lands ;  and,  where  such 
duties  are  not  delegated  to  boards  of  town  trustees,  must  provide  the  machinery 
for  elections,  keep  the  peace,  maintain  schools  and  charities,  survey  and  main- 
tain Highways  and  bridges,  and,  in  general,  look  after  all  local  affairs. 

The  board  of  trustees  of  a  town  is  permitted  by  law  to  assume  many  of  the 
lesser  responsibilities  which  would  otherwise  be  exercised  by  the  county  board.  It 
assumes  charge  of  the  streets  and  bridges  within  the  limits  of  the  town,  enforces 
authority  through  justices  of  the  peace  and  constables,  lays  taxes  for  local  pur- 
poses, and  acts  as  agent  of  the  state  and  county  in  the  assessment  and  collection 
of  taxes.4 

LAST    YEAR    OF    TOWN     GOVERNMENT 

The  last  board  of  trustees  of  the  Town  of  Chicago  was  elected  on  June  6,  1836. 
The  members  of  the  board  were  Eli  B.  Williams,  president,  Samuel  G.  Trowbridge, 
Peter  Bolles,  Peter  L.  Updike,  Augustine  D.  Taylor,  William  B.  Ogden,  Asahel 
Pierce,  Thomas  Wright,  and  John  Jackson.  The  belief  in  the  future  of  the  town 
was  now  so  strong  that  an  insistent  demand  arose  for  a  city  charter.  The  work 
on  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  having  been  fairly  begun  in  1836,  the  In- 
dians having  been  finally  removed  to  their  new  reservations,  large  numbers  of 
immigrants  continually  arriving,  and  real  estate  advancing  at  a  rapid  rate,  it  was 
an  appropriate  time,  it  seemed,  for  the  Town  of  Chicago  to  take  a  step  forward 
in  its  civic  development,  and  assume  the  powers  and  responsibilities  of  a  full-fledged 
city. 

CHICAGO     INCORPORATED    AS    A     CITY 

Following  the  incorporation  of  the  Town  of  Chicago  on  August  12th,  1833,  the 
next  important  event  in  the  civic  life  of  the  place  was  its  incorporation  as  a  city. 
This  bears  the  date  of  March  4th,  1837. 

In  the  previous  November  the  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Town 
of  Chicago  had  invited  the  inhabitants  to  select  three  persons  from  each  of  the  three 
districts  into  which  the  town  was  divided,  to  meet  the  Board  and  "consult  upon  the 
expediency  of  applying  to  the  Legislature  for  a  city  charter."  A  meeting  was 
accordingly  held  and  a  committee  of  five  was  appointed  to  prepare  the  draft  of  a 
city  charter  and  report  at  a  subsequent  meeting.  The  members  of  this  committee 
were  Ebenezer  Peck,  John  D.  Caton,  Theophilus  W.  Smith,  Peter  Bolles,  and  Will- 
iam B.  Ogden. 

On  the  9th  of  December,  1836,  the  committee  presented  their  draft  of  a  city 
charter,  which  was  voted  on  by  the  people  at  a  public  meeting,  held  in  the  Saloon 
Building.  Four-fifths  of  those  present  favored  the  charter  and  it  was  approved. 

4  Greene:  "Government  of  Illinois,"  p.  95. 


224  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

The  mention  of  the  Saloon  Building,  famous  in  the  early  history  of  Chicago,  re- 
quires a  brief  description,  as  the  hall  contained  within  it  was  considered  at  that 
period  the  finest  and  most  commodious  hall  "west  of  Buffalo."  Its  name  was 
chosen  as  being  the  equivalent,  in  English,  of  the  similar  French  word,  salon,  in- 
dicating a  spacious  and  grand  hall.  It  was  much  used  as  a  place  for  popular  as- 
semblages and  public  entertainments,  and  had  but  recently  been  built.  It  stood  at 
the  southeast  corner  of  Lake  and  Clark  streets. 

The  charter  having  been  approved  by  the  people  it  was  sent  to  the  Legislature, 
and  was  passed  by  that  body  on  March  4,  1837,  which  is  the  date  chosen  by  the 
historians  on  which  the  municipality  began  its  corporate  existence.  The  election 
to  choose  officers  was  not  held,  however,  until  the  following  Majr. 

The  elective  officers  under  the  new  charter  were  a  mayor,  board  of  aldermen, 
one  clerk,  one  treasurer  and  six  assessors.  The  corporate  limits  of  the  city  were 
defined  to  include  the  district  of  country,  in  the  County  of  Cook,  in  the  State 
of  Illinois,  with  boundaries  as  follows :  The  boundary  on  the  north  was  North 
avenue;  on  the  west,  Wood  street;  on  the  south,  Twenty-second  street;  and  on  the 
east,  the  lake,  excepting  the  military  reservation  where  the  fort  stood.  The  city 
was  divided  into  six  wards,  each  of  which  was  empowered  to  elect  two  aldermen. 

"Under  the  city  charter,"  says  President  E.  J.  James,  in  his  work  on  the 
"Charters  of  Chicago,"  "all  corporate  power  was  vested  in  the  council  consist- 
ing of  the  mayor  and  aldermen.  The  mayor  was,  however,  little  more  than  a  fig- 
urehead. He  was  presiding  officer  of  the  council,  but  had  no  veto,  and  not  even  a 
vote  unless  there  was  a  tie.  Nearly  all  the  officials  of  the  city  were  appointed  by 
the  council  and  made  subject  to  its  immediate  direction.  The  council  not  only  or- 
ganized the  various  city  departments  under  its  ordinances,  but  it  governed  the 
city  through  these  departments  as  its  own  immediate  agents." 

FIRST     CITY    ELECTION     AND    CENSUS 

An  election  was  held  on  the  second  of  May,  1837,  to  choose  the  officers  pro- 
vided for  in  the  charter.  At  this  election  William  B.  Ogden  was  chosen  the  first 
mayor  of  Chicago;  Isaac  N.  Arnold,  clerk;  and  Hiram  Pearsons,  treasurer.  Soon 
after,  a  census  of  the  city  was  taken,  on  July  1,  1837,  which  gave  a  total  of  4.170 
souls,  as  follows:  Men,  2,570;  women,  1,600.  In  this  total  is  included  seventy- 
seven  colored  people  of  both  sexes.  The  census  also  showed  that  there  were  three 
hundred  and  ninety-eight  dwellings,  four  warehouses,  twenty-nine  dry-goods  stores, 
five  hardware  stores,  three  drug  stores,  nineteen  grocery  and  provision  stores,  ten 
taverns,  twenty-six  "groceries"  (liquor  shops),  seventeen  lawyers'  offices,  and  five 
churches. 

THE    TWO    INCORPORATIONS 

It  must  be  remembered  that  there  were  two  incorporations,  that  of  the  Town 
of  Chicago  in  1833,  and  that  of  the  City  of  Chicago  in  1837.  Briefly  rehearsed, 
for  the  benefit  of  the  casual  reader,  it  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  pages  that 
the  first  plat,  that  is,  "Thompson's  Plat,"  was  made  and  "published"  on  August 
4,  1830.8  This  did  not,  however,  give  any  legal  status  to  the  place,  although  this 

5  Andreas:     I,  174. 


vV    .^ 


MAP   SHOWING   LOCATION   OF   PRINCIPAL   MERIDIANS   AND 
BASE    LINES    NEAREST    CHICAGO 


• 
CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 


225 


date  is  regarded  as  that  of  the  "founding  of  Chicago."  °  The  place  still  continued 
to  be  a  voting  precinct  of  Peoria  County,  and  so  remained  until  the  organization 
of  Cook  County  on  January  15,  1831,  when  it  became  the  county  seat  of  the  new 
county,  but  still  without  any  town  or  village  organization. 

The  "Town  of  Chicago"  was  incorporated  August  12th,  1833,  a  little  over  three 
years  after  the  time  when  Thompson's  Plat  was  made,  under  a  general  act  of  the 
legislature  which  had  been  passed  on  February  12,  1831,  enabling  communities 
of  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  inhabitants  to  incorporate  as  towns,  the  limits  of 
which  were  not  to  exceed  one  square  mile.7  The  area  comprised  within  the  limits 
of  the  town  at  the  time  it  was  incorporated  was  about  three-eighths  of  a  square 
mile,  though  in  1835,  by  special  act  of  the  legislature,  the  area  was  increased  to 
about  two  and  two-fifths  square  miles. 

The  "City  of  Chicago"  was  incorporated  March  4th,  1837,  under  a  special 
charter  passed  by  the  legislature  on  that  date,  and  entered  upon  its  existence  as  a 
city,  with  an  area  of  about  ten  square  miles  comprised  within  its  limits. 


CHART    OF     EVENTS 


The  following  chart  presents  a  view  of  the  more  important  events  occurring 
between  the  periods  of  making  the  first  plat  and  the  incorporation  of  the  City  of 
Chicago. 


YEAR 

GOVERNMENT 

SUBDIVISION 
AND  LIMITS 

CONTEMPORARY  EVENTS 

1830 

Chicago,  Precinct  of 
Peoria  County,  since 
January  i3th,  1825. 

Plat  of  Chicago  made  by 
Canal    Commissioners 
(Thompson's  Plat),August 
4th,  1830. 

Sale  of  Lots,  September  2?th, 
1830. 

1831 

Chicago,  County  Seat 
of  Cook  County,  Jan- 
uary isth,  1831. 

No  Change 

Cook  Country  Organized,  Jan- 
uary i5th,  1831. 
Chicago  Post  Office  Established, 
March  3ist,  1831. 

1832 

Continuation  as  above. 

No  Change 

Black  Hawk  War  Ended,  Aug- 
ust 3d,  1832. 

1833 

Town  of  Chicago  In- 
corp'orated,  August 
i2th,  1833. 

Area  of  Town  when  In- 
corporated, |ths  of  a  square 
mile.     Area   enlarged   to 
Jths  of  a  square  mile,  Nov. 
6th,  1833. 

Harbor  Works  Begun,  July  ist, 
1833. 
Indian  Treaty,  September  26th, 
1833. 

1835 

Continuation  as  above. 

Area  of  Town  again  en- 
larged to  2|  square  miles, 
February  nth,  1835. 

Speculative  Mania. 
Indian  Removal. 

1836 

Continuation  as  above. 

No  Change 

Illinois   and    Michigan    Canal 
Commenced,  July  4th,  1836. 

1837 

City    of    Chicago    In- 
corporated, March  4th, 
1837. 

Limits:  North  Ave.,  Wood 
St.,Twenty-second  St.,  and 
lake   (excepting   Military 
Reservation).  Area,  a  lit- 
tle  more  than  ten  square 
miles. 

Population,  4170. 

"James:     "Charters   of  Chicago,"   18. 
7  Andreas:     I,  174. 

Vol.  1—15 


226  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

PURPOSES  OF   A    CITY   CHARTER 

"Wherever  there  is  a  considerable  gathering  of  people/'  says  Greene,  "the 
simple  machinery  of  town  and  county  government  needs  to  be  supplemented  by 
that  of  the  village  or  city.  These  municipal  governments,  unlike  the  towns,  are 
intended  largely  to  serve  the  special  local  needs  of  the  community  for  which  they 
were  organized.  When  a  city  becomes  large  enough  to  include  one  or  more  town- 
ships, a  large  part  of  the  purely  local  town  business  is  transferred  to  the  city, 
and  the  town  becomes  more  than  ever  a  mere  agency  of  the  county  government."  8 

In  outlining  the  general  purposes  for  which  a  city  government  is  instituted, 
Greene  says:  "In  the  first  place,  the  city  council  is  responsible  for  good  order 
It  therefore  organizes  the  police  and  makes  such  other  rules  as  are  necessary  to 
suppress  disturbance.  It  also. provides  places  of  detention  for  petty  offenders.  In 
the  second  place,  it  has  charge  of  the  safety  and  health  of  the  people.  Under 
this  head  come  provisions  for  the  fire  department  and  health  regulations  of  vari- 
ous kinds.  In  the  third  place,  the  council  makes  provision  for  the  proper  care  of 
streets,  and  regulates  the  use  of  them.  ...  In  the  fourth  place,  the  city 
regulates  various  kinds  of  business  within  its  limits  by  requiring  licenses  from 
those  engaged  in  them,  as  in  the  case  of  hackmen,  peddlers,  and  liquor  dealers. 

"The  proper  management  of  all  this  business  requires  the  spending  of  money. 
The  council  has  therefore  the  right  to  lay  taxes  and  to  borrow  money.  These  fi- 
nancial powers  are,  however,  carefully  limited  and  guarded  by  the  constitution 
and  laws  of  the  state."  Further  details  of  the  method  of  organizing  a  city,  and  its 
powers  and  duties  after  organization,  may  be  found  in  chapter  twenty-four  of 
Kurd's  "Revised  Statutes." 

EARLY   SYSTEM    OF    SURVEYS 

The  old  colonial  system  of  surveys  was  crude  and  unsatisfactory  as  compared 
with  the  simplicity  and  precision  of  the  system  now  in  use.  Lands,  by  the  old  sys- 
tem, were  described  by  the  rather  cumbrous  method  of  "metes  and  bounds;"  and 
much  difficulty  and  confusion  between  adjoining  property  owners,  in  deciding  what 
were  the  actual  boundaries  and  location  of  their  lands  even  after  surveys  had  been 
made,  often  resulted.  People  accustomed  to  the  straight  section  lines  used  in  our 
western  country,  look  with  curiosity  at  the  irregular  and  apparently  unaccountable 
shapes  of  tracts  covered  by  surveys  in  the  east. 

The  system  of  surveys,  now  in  use  throughout  the  west  generally,  was  devised 
by  Thomas  Hutchins,  the  first  surveyor-general  of  the  United  States,  and  it  has 
been  called  "the  simplest  of  all  known  modes  of  survey."  This  system,  known  as 
the  "township  system  of  surveys,"  was  authorized  by  an  Act  of  Congress  in  1796, 
which  is  still  in  force,  and  which  provides  that  all  public  lands  shall  be  divided 
into  townships  six  miles  square,  "as  near  as  may  be." 

TOWNSHIP    SYSTEM    OP    SURVEYS 

As  a  starting  point  in  the  township  system  of  surveys,  some  prominent  geograph- 
ical position  is  taken,  as  for  instance  the  mouth  of  a  river;  and  through  this  is 
drawn  a  meridian  line,  running,  of  course,  north  and  south.  This  line  is  known 

8  Greene:     "Government  of  Illinois,"  p.  101. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  227 

as  the  principal  meridian,  and  through  this  line,  at  some  point  selected,  another 
line  is  run  at  right  angles  to  it.  This  is  called  the  base  line,  and  commencing  at 
the  intersection  of  these  two  lines  the  surveyor  measures  off  distances  of  six  miles 
on  both.  The  result  is  squares  of  land  containing  thirty  six  square  miles,  or  sec- 
tions, in  each  square  of  land  thus  laid  out;  and  these  squares  are  called  townships. 
Of  course,  by  reason  of  the  converging  of  meridian  lines  a  readjustment  must  be 
made  at  certain  intervals,  which  an  inspection  of  any  township  map  of  the  state 
will  readily  show. 

In  Illinois,  the  Third  Principal  Meridian  runs  true  north  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Ohio  River,  thus  nearly  bisecting  the  state.  The  base  line  begins  at  the  Third 
Principal  Meridian  near  Centralia,  Illinois,  and  is  continued  eastward  through  the 
state.  "All  the  lands  of  Illinois  north  and  east  of  the  Illinois  River  .  .  .  are 
surveyed  from  the  Third  Principal  Meridian.  Lands  of  Illinois  west  of  the  Illi- 
nois River  are  surveyed  from  the  Fourth  Principal  Meridian.  The  two  surveys  are 
usually  planned  to  meet  at  some  natural  division,  as  the  Illinois  River,  which  di- 
vides the  two  surveys  between  the  Fourth  and  the  Third  Principal  Meridian."  9 

In  numbering  the  sections  of  a  township,  the  first  number  is  given  to  the  sec- 
tion at  the  northeast  corner  of  the  township,  proceeding  thence  along  the  northern 
tier  of  sections,  doubling  back  on  the  next  tier  south,  and  so  on  to  the  last  one,  that 
is,  number  thirty-six,  situated  in  the  southeast  corner.  Section  Number  Sixteen 
in  every  township  is  always  reserved  by  law  for  the  support  of  public  schools, 
though  in  many  townships  the  trustees  have  sold  part  or  all  of  the  land  at  low  prices, 
and  thus  lost  the  advantage  of  the  subsequent  increase  in  values. 

THE    FIRST    PLAT    OF    CHICAGO 

The  first  survey  and  plat  of  the  town  of  Chicago  was  made  by  James  Thomp- 
son, in  1830.  He  was  employed  by  the  commissioners  of  the  Illinois  and  Mich- 
igan Canal  to  survey  and  plat  Section  9,  Township  39,  Range  14  east  of  the  Third 
Principal  Meridian,  that  being  one  of  the  sections  which  was  granted  to  the  state 
by  the  general  government  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  the  canal.  The  entire  sec- 
tion is  bounded  on  the  south  by  Madison  street,  on  the  west  by  Halsted  street,  on 
the  north  by  Chicago  avenue,  and  on  the  east  by  State  street.  Only  part  of  this 
section,  however,  was  platted,  the  map  made  by  Thompson  including  the  land 
no  farther  west  than  Desplaines  street,  nor  farther  north  than  Kinzie  street,  the 
other  boundaries  being  those  of  the  section  as  above  described.  It  thus  comprised 
about  three-eighths  of  a  square  mile,10  or  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  including 
the  river  surface,  within  that  area. 

This  first  plat  of  Chicago  provided  for  a  public  levee  along  the  banks  of  the 
river,  upon  the  plan  of  our  western  river  towns.  It  was  found  expedient  in  later 
years,  however,  to  abandon  this  plan  and  the  ground  was  eventually  sold  and  built 
upon.  We  may  note  that  at  the  present  time  there  is  an  awakening  desire  that 
these  river  banks  shall  be  restored  to  the  public,  and  made  into  broad  places  which 
will  "combine  business  uses  with  drives  and  promenades  for  traffic,  and  for  the 
pleasure  of  the  people."  This  is  one  of  the  suggestions  contained  in  the  Chicago 

9  Gibson:     "History  of  United  States,"  p.  271. 

10  Andreas:     I,   174. 


228  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

Commercial  Club's  "Plan  of  Chicago."  And  this  result  must  come  to  the  Chicago 
River,  says  the  writer,  "when  the  city  comes  to  give  attention  to  other  needs  in  addi- 
tion to  those  of  commerce  and  manufactures." 

Thompson's  plat  bears  the  date  of  August  4,  1830,  which  may  be  taken  as  the 
date  of  the  founding  of  Chicago,  though  it  was  not  regularly  incorporated  into  a 
village  or  town  until  three  years  later.  It  will  be  observed  that  no  land  east  of 
State  street  was  included  in  the  first  plat,  as  the  government  reservation,  on  which 
was  situated  Fort  Dearborn  and  its  surrounding  grounds,  covered  a  large  portion 
of  it.  Just  south  of  Section  9  was  Section  16,  known  as  the  School  Section.  The 
School  Section  was  not  subdivided  until  some  years  later. 

SALE  OF   LOTS   IN  THE   NEW  SUBDIVISION 

It  was  decided  by  the  Canal  Commissioners  to  sell  part  of  the  land,  which  had 
been  subdivided,  at  public  auction.  The  sale  occurred  September  27,  1830,  James 
Kinzie  being  the  auctioneer.  All  the  regularly  shaped  blocks  on  that  part  of  the 
tract  which  was  on  the  South  Side  were  divided  into  eight  lots  in  each  block.  Block 
Number  One,  bounded  by  North  State  street,  Kinzie  street,  Dearborn  avenue,  and 
North  Water  street  (using  the  names  by  which  they  are  known  at  the  present 
time),  was  sold  to  Alexander  Wolcott,  who  was  at  that  time  the  United  States 
Indian  Agent,  for  six  hundred  and  eighty-five  dollars;  and  also  eighty  acres  of 
the  tract  just  north  of  it  to  the  same  purchaser  for  one  dollar  and  sixty-two  and  one- 
half  cents  an  acre.1 1 

At  that  time  no  postoffice  had  yet  been  established  at  Chicago,  the  County  of 
Cook  had  not  yet  been  organized,  and  the  population  was  less  than  two  hundred 
outside  of  the  garrison  at  the  fort.  An  estimate  of  the  population  may  be  formed 
from  the  poll  lists  at  an  election  held  a  short  time  previously  to  this  sale.  For 
July  24th  a  special  election  had  been  ordered  by  the  commissioners  of  Peoria 
county,  within  which  the  "Chicago  precinct"  was  then  situated,  for  the  purpose 
of  electing  a  justice  of  the  peace  and  a  constable.  The  election  was  held  at  the 
house  of  James  Kinzie,  a  son  of  the  first  settler,  John  Kinzie,  who  died  in  1828. 
There  were  fifty-six  votes  cast,  the  names  of  the  voters  appearing  in  the  records 
of  Peoria  countv.  These  names  were  printed  in  the  Fergus  Historical  Series, 
and  in  the  list  appear  many  of  the  well  known  names  of  that  early  period,  such  as 
James  Kinzie,  the  Beaubiens,  Wolcott,  Laframboise,  Galloway,  Clybourn,  Ouil- 
mette,  Scott,  Bailey,  Hunter,  McKee,  Heacock,  and  others.  (Fergus  No.  7,  p.  54.) 

The  following  list  of  sales  is  only  a  partial  one,  having  been  gathered  from  the 
lists  printed  by  Bross  and  Andreas  in  their  histories  of  Chicago;  but  the  list  serves 
to  give  a  fair  idea  of  values  at  the  first  sale  of  lots  in  Chicago.  It  will  be  seen 
that  the  partial  list  of  sales  given  below  is  for  fifty-nine  lots  only  out  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-seven  which  were  sold  by  the  Canal  Commissioners. 

The  partial  List  of  Sales  of  Lots  in  the  "Original  Town,"  included  within 
Section  9,  Township  39,  Range  14,  East  of  the  Third  Principal  Meridian,  on 
September  30,  1830,  was  as  follows: 

11  Andreas:     I,  115. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTOEY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  229 

SALES  OF  LOTS  ON  SOUTH  SIDE,  IN  BLOCKS  NUMBERED,  INCLUSIVELY,  16  TO  21  ;  30 
TO  43;  52  TO  58;  COMPRISING  197  LOTS 

Block  No.  16,  Lot  1 — Purchaser,  Charles  Dunn;  boundaries  of  block,  S.  Water, 
Dearborn,  Lake,  State ;  price,  $75. 

Block  No.  16,  Lot  4 — Purchaser,  O.  Newberry;  boundaries  of  block,  S.  Water, 
Dearborn,  Lake,  State;  price,  $78. 

Block  No.  17,  Lots  1  and  2 — Purchaser,  J.  B.  Beaubien;  boundaries  of  block, 
S.  Water,  Clark,  Lake,  Dearborn;  price  per  lot,  $50;  total,  $100. 

Block  No.  17,  Lot  4 — Purchaser,  O.  Newberry;  boundaries  of  block,  S.  Water, 
Clark,  Lake,  Dearborn;  price,  $100. 

Block  No.  18,  Lot  1- — Purchaser,  Jonathan  H.  Pugh;  boundaries  of  block,  S. 
Water,  La  Salle,  Lake,  Clark;  price,  $24. 

Block  No.  18,  Lot  2 — Purchaser,  Edmund  Roberts;  boundaries  of  block,  S. 
Water,  La  Salle,  Lake,  Clark;  price,  $45. 

Block  No.  18,  Lot  4 — Purchaser,  P.  F.  W.  Peck;  boundaries  of  block,  S. 
Water,  La  Salle,  Lake,  Clark;  price,  $78. 

Block  No.  19,  Lots  1  and  2 — Purchaser,  G.  S.  Hubbard;  boundaries  of  block, 
S.  Water,  Wells,  Lake,  La  Salle;  price  per  lot,  $37.50;  total,  $75. 

Block  No.  20,  Lot  1 — Purchaser,  Thos.  Hartzell ;  boundaries  of  block,  S.  Water, 
Franklin,  Lake,  Wells;  price,  $50. 

Block  No.  20,  Lot  3 — Purchaser,  Jesse  O.  Browne;  boundaries  of  block,  S. 
Water,  Franklin,  Lake,  Wells ;  price,  $50. 

Block  No.  20,  Lot  7 — Purchaser,  Paul  Kingston ;  boundaries  of  block,  S. 
Water,  Franklin,  Lake,  Wells;  price,  $27. 

Block  No.  31,  Lots  5  and  6 — Purchaser,  C.  A.  Finley;  boundaries  of  block, 
Lake,  Market,  Randolph,  Franklin;  price  per  lot,  $50.50;  total,  $101. 

Block  No.  34,  Lots  4  and  5 — Purchaser,  W.  A.  Bell;  boundaries  of  block, 
Lake,  La  Salle,  Randolph,  Clark;  price  per  lot,  $24;  total,  $48. 

Block  No.  36,  Lots  5  and  6 — Purchaser,  Geo.  Miller ;  boundaries  of  block,  Lake, 
Dearborn,  Randolph,  State;  price  per  lot,  $31.50;  total,  $63. 

Block  No.  38,  Lot  4 — Purchaser,  C.  Rawley;  boundaries  of  block,  Randolph, 
Clark,  Washington,  Dearborn ;  price,  $53. 

Block  No.  43,  Lots  7  and  8 — Purchaser,  Stephen  Mack;  boundaries  of  block, 
Randolph,  E.  Water,  Washington,  Market;  price  per  lot,  $26.50;  total,  $53. 

Block  No.  56,  Lot  1 — Purchaser,  John  Noble;  boundaries  of  block,  Washing- 
ton, La  Salle,  Madison,  Clark;  price,  $60. 

Block  No.  56,  Lot  2 — Purchaser,  O.  Goss ;  boundaries  of  block,  Washington, 
La  Salle,  Madison,  Clark;  price,  $70. 

Total  Sales  on  South  Side,  $1,150. 

The  lots  in  the  rectangular  blocks  on  the  South  Side  have  80  feet  frontage,  with 
a  depth  of  150  feet. 

SALES  OF  LOTS  ON  WEST  SIDE,  IN  BLOCKS  NUMBERED,  INCLUSIVELY,  8  TO  13;  22  TO  29  ; 

44  TO  51  ;   COMPRISING   197  LOTS 

Block  No.  8,  Lots  5  and  6 — Purchaser,  Edward  Keyes;  boundaries  of  block, 
Kinzie,  Clinton,  Carroll,  W.  Water;  price  per  lot,  $23.50;  total,  $47. 


230  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

Block  No.  8,  Lot  7 — Purchaser,  C.  Hallenbeck;  boundaries  of  block,  Kinzie, 
Clinton,  Carroll,  W.  Water;  price,  $11. 

Block  No.  8,  Lot  11 — Purchaser,  James  Kinzie;  boundaries  of  block,  Kinzie, 
Clinton,  Carroll,  W.  Water;  price,  $34. 

Block  No.  9,  Lot  5- — Purchaser,  T.  J.  V.  Owen;  boundaries  of  block,  Kinzie, 
Jefferson,  Carroll,  Clinton;  price,  $39. 

Block  No.  10,  Lot  4 — Purchaser,  James  Walker;  boundaries  of  block,  Kinzie, 
Desplaines,  Carroll,  Jefferson;  price,  $20. 

Block  No.  12,  Lots  5  to- 8 — Purchaser,  James  Kinzie;  boundaries  of  block,  Car- 
roll, Jefferson,  Fulton,  Clinton;  average  price  per  lot,  $19;  total  $76. 

Block  No.  28,  Lots  5  and  6 — Purchaser,  Win.  Jewett;  boundaries  of  block, 
Lake,  Clinton,  Randolph,  Canal;  price  per  lot,  $10.50;  total,  $21. 

Block  No.  29,  Lot  4 — Purchaser,  Edmund  Roberts;  boundaries  of  block,  Lake, 
Canal,  Randolph,  W.  Water;  price,  $100. 

Block  No.  29,  Lots  5  and  6 — Purchaser,  Win.  Belcher;  boundaries  of  block, 
Lake,  Canal,  Randolph,  W.  Water;  price  per  lot,  $54.50;  total,  $109. 

Block  No.  29,  Lot  7 — Purchaser,  Thos.  Hartzell;  boundaries  of  block,  Lake, 
Canal,  Randolph,  W.  Water;  price,  $35. 

Block  No.  44,  Lots  1  and  2 — Purchaser,  L.  Bourassa;  boundaries  of  block,  Ran- 
dolph, Canal,  Washington,  W.  Water;  price  per  lot,  $57;  total,  $114. 

Block  No.  44,  Lot  9 — Purchaser,  J.  Woolsey,  Jr.;  boundaries  of  block,  Ran- 
dolph, Canal,  Washington,  W.  Water;  price,  $50. 

Block  No.  49,  Lot  7 — Purchaser,  David  McKee;  boundaries  of  block,  Wash- 
ington, Jefferson,  Madison,  Clinton;  price,  $130. 

Total  Sales  on  West  Side,  $786. 

The  lots  in  the  rectangular  blocks  on  the  West  Side  have  generally  from  75  to 
80  feet  frontage,  with  a  depth  of  150  feet. 

SALES  OF  LOTS  ON  NORTH  SIDE,  IN  BLOCKS  NUMBERED,  INCLUSIVELY,  1  TO   7;   14  AND 

15;  COMPRISING  65  LOTS 

Block  No.  1,  Lots  1  to  8 — Purchaser,  Alexander  Wolcott;  boundaries  of  block, 
Kinzie,  Dearborn,  Carroll,  State;  average  price  per  lot,  $85.621^;  total,  $685. 

Block  No.  2,  Lot  2 — Purchaser,  John  H.  Kinzie;  boundaries  of  block,  Kinzie, 
Clark,  Carroll,  Dearborn;  price,  $37. 

Block  No.  14,  Lots  1  and  2 — Purchaser,  J.  Wellmaker;  boundaries  of  block, 
Carroll,  N.  Water  (two  sides),  Market;  price  per  lot,  $27;  total,  $54. 

Block  No.  14,  Lots  3,  4,  7  and  8 — Purchaser,  Samuel  Miller;  boundaries  of 
block,  Carroll,  N.  Water  (two  sides),  Market;  average  price  per  lot,  $27.50; 
total,  $110. 

Total  Sales  on  North  Side,  $886. 

The  lots  in  most  of  the  blocks  on  the  North  Side  have  all  80  feet  frontage,  with 
irregular  depths  of  from  124  to  250  feet,  the  lots  fronting  on  Kinzie  street,  in 
Block  One,  having  the  greatest  depth. 

Names  of  streets  are  given  as  found  on  Thompson's  Plat. 

VALUES    OF    PROPERTY 

The  prices  realized  at  this  sale  of  lots  and  lands  in  the  Canal  Section  was  but 
a  slight  indication  of  the  values  soon  to  be  placed  upon  Chicago  property.  The 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  231 

sale  took  place,  as  before  mentioned,  on  the  27th  of  September,  1830;  and  out  of 
a  total  of  four  hundred  and  fifty-nine  lots  included  in  the  plat  of  the  "Original 
Town,"  only  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  were  sold.  Nearly  all  of  the  lots  on 
the  South  Side  had  a  frontage  of  eighty  feet  each,  running  back  one  hundred  and 
eighty  feet  to  an  alley.  Lots  on  the  West  and  North  Sides  had  varying  dimensions, 
most  of  the  blocks  being  divided  into  eight  or  ten  lots  each,  the  course  of  the  river, 
however,  causing  some  irregularities.  As  will  be  seen  from  an  inspection  of  the 
sales,  one  lot  on  the  West  Side  brought  the  highest  price .  at  the  sale,  this  being 
lot  seven  in  block  forty-nine,  fronting  east  on  Clinton  street,  near  Madison.  This 
lot  sold  for  one  hundred  and  thirty  dollars.  The  highest  price  paid  for  a  single 
lot  on  the  South  Side  was  one  hundred  dollars,  this  lot  being  number  four  in  block 
seventeen,  bounded  by  South  Water,  Clark,  Lake  and  Dearborn  streets,  at  present 
bearing  the  numbers  from  137  to  143  South  Water  street.  Other  lots  on  the  South 
Side  ranged  from  the  above  price  down  to  twenty-four  dollars,  the  latter  being 
lot  number  one  in  block  eighteen,  bounded  by  South  Water,  La  Salle,  Lake  and 
Clark  streets.  The  highest  price  for  lots  on  the  North  Side  was  that  paid  by  Alex- 
ander Wolcott  in  block  number  one.  Wolcott  bought  the  entire  block  of  eight  lots 
for  six  hundred  and  eighty-five  dollars,  an  average  of  about  eighty-five  dollars 
for  each.  This  block  is  bounded  by  Kinzie  street,  Dearborn  avenue,  North  Water 
street,  and  North  State  street,  using  the  names  by  which  they  are  at  present  known. 
It  will  also  be  seen  that  the  partial  list  of  sales  shown  above  amounted 
to  $2,822.00,  or  an  average,  for  the  fifty-nine  lots,  of  about  $48.00  per  lot.  It  will 
be  remembered  that  Section  Nine  extended  as  far  north  as  the  line  of  what  was  later 
called  Chicago  avenue,  although  the  subdivided  portion,  as  shown  in  Thompson's 
plat,  extended  no  farther  north  than  Kinzie  street.  From  that  portion  of  Sec- 
tion Nine,  not  included  in  the  subdivision,  were  sold  at  about  the  same  time  sev- 
eral tracts  containing  in  all  some  four  hundred  acres,  the  remainder  of  the  sec- 
tion in  fact,  which  brought  prices  ranging  from  one  dollar  and  a  quarter  to  five 
dollars  and  ninety  cents  per  acre,  the  average  price  being  three  dollars  and  thirty 
cents  per  acre.12 

EARLY    STREET    NAMES 

The  tract  subdivided  by  Thompson,  as  before  mentioned,  comprised  an  area 
of  about  three-eighths  of  Section  Number  Nine.  Thompson's  map  shows  the  names 
of  the  streets  nearly  as  we  know  them  now,  except  that  the  present  North  Water 
street  bears  the  name  of  Carroll  street.  The  name  of  North  Water  street  was 
applied  only  to  the  river  front  of  blocks  fourteen  and  fifteen.  The  present  Fifth 
avenue  bears  the  name  of  Wells  street.  Besides  those  streets  named  after  the 
presidents,  and  those  deriving  their  names  from  natural  features,  there  was  Dear- 
born street  named  after  General  Henry  Dearborn,  in  honor  of  whom  Fort  Dear- 
born also  had  been  named ;  Clark  street,  after  George  Rogers  Clark,  the  con- 
queror of  the  Illinois  Country;  La  Salle  street,  after  the  great  explorer;  Wells 
street,  after  Captain  William  Wells,  who  lost  his  life  at  the  Chicago  Massacre; 
Franklin  street,  after  Benjamin  Franklin,  the  philosopher  and  statesman;  Clinton 
street,  after  De  Witt  Clinton,  the  famous  New  York  governor;  Randolph  street, 
after  John  Randolph,  of  Roanoke,  a  prominent  statesman  of  that  period ;  Carroll 

12Bross:    "History  of  Chicago,"  p.  38. 


232  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

street,  after  Charles  Carroll,  of  Carrollton,  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence;  Fulton  street,  after  the  inventor  of  the  steamboat;  and  Kinzie 
street,  after  John  Kinzie,  Chicago's  first  settler.  Canal  street,  no  doubt,  was  a 
name  suggested  by  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal,  then  being  surveyed;  and  Des- 
plaines  street  was  named  from  the  river  running  its  course  a  few  miles  westward. 
The  names  of  State  and  Market  streets  were  doubtless  chosen  from  the  general 
stock  of  names  in  use  by  cities  in  other  parts  of  the  country. 

CONTEMPORARY    EVENTS 

When  Cook  County  was  organized  January  15,  1831,  Chicago  was  designated 
as  the  county  seat.  On  February  12,  1831,  the  legislature  passed  a  general  law 
for  the  incorporation  of  towns,  and  under  this  law  the  town  of  Chicago  was  in- 
corporated, two  and  a  half  years  later,  on  August  12,  1833,  thus  entering  upon  its 
official  existence  as  a  town.  It  should  be  mentioned  here  that  the  word  "town"  at 
that  time  was  used  in  nearly  the  same  sense  as  the  word  "village"  is  used  today,13 
though  not  exclusively  so.  The  word  "town"  was  also  often  used  in  the  same 
sense  as  the  word  "township."  The  Canal  Commissioners  granted  twenty-four  lots 
to  the  newly  formed  County  of  Cook  on  June  16,  1831,  sixteen  of  which  were 
sold  soon  after ;  and  eight  lots,  comprising  block  thirty-nine,  in  the  "Original  Town," 
were  retained.  On  this  block  now  stands  the  County  Court  House  and  City  Hall. 

CANAL    COMMISSIONERS    AND    CANAL    TRUSTEES 

Throughout  this  work  it  will  be  observed  that  in  some  places  the  expression 
"Canal  Commissioners"  is  used,  and  in  others  "Canal  Trustees."  The  reason  for 
this  is  fully  set  forth  in  the  chapter  on  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal.  A  brief 
mention  here  of  the  changes  requiring  the  use  of  these  different  terms  will  doubt- 
less be  of  assistance  to  the  reader.  In  the  early  history  of  the  canal  its  management 
was  placed  under  a  Board  of  Commissioners.  When  the  canal  was  partly  con- 
structed its  financial  affairs  were  reorganized  and  its  management  was  placed 
under  a  Board  of  Trustees.  This  was  in  June,  1845.14  The  final  report  of  the 
trustees  was  made  April  30,  1871,  after  which  it  again  came  under  the  manage- 
ment of  a  Board  of  Commissioners,  and  has  so  continued  until  the  present  time. 

WINTER    OF    THE    DEEP    SNOW 

The  winter  of  1830-31  was  known  as  the  "Winter  of  the  Deep  Snow."  In  a 
package  of  sheets  containing  memoranda  of  weather  observations,  now  in  pos- 
session of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society,  this  winter  is  thus  described,  with  an 
added  note  which  says  that  the  snow  was  four  feet  deep  on  the  level,  and  for 
three  weeks  the  thermometer  stood  at  fifteen  degrees  below  zero.  It  is  stated  in 
Snyder's  "Illinois  History"  that  the  winter  was  the  severest  that  had  then  been 
experienced  by  the  settlers  of  Illinois,  and  that  it  is  memorable  in  the  annals  of 
the  state,  as  the  "winter  of  the  deep  snow." 

13  E.  B.  Greene:   "Government  of  Illinois,"  p.  41. 

14  Putnam:   "Economical  History  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,"  p.  346. 


ISAAC    X.    AHXOLD 

First  Clerk  of  Chicago 


By  courtesy  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 
From  a  water  color  by  C.  E.  Petford 


THE  FIRST  COrilTHOrSE— HriLT  IX  18.'i.-> 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  233 

During  the  preceding  fall  the  weather  had  been  unusually  mild  until  Christmas 
Eve  of  the  year  1830,  when  snow  began  falling  and  continued  to  fall  at  intervals 
for  nine  weeks,  attaining  a  uniform  depth  of  three  feet  and  four  inches.  It  was 
drifted  in  many  places  to  a  much  greater  depth,  burying  beneath  it  log  cabins  and 
the  buildings  of  the  settlers.  Deer,  wild  turkeys,  and  flocks  of  prairie  chickens 
invaded  the  corn  fields,  and  other  game  like  quails  and  rabbits  perished  in  large 
numbers  from  cold  and  starvation.  The  deep  snow  and  protracted  cold  caused  much 
suffering  and  privation  among  many  of  the  settlers,  who  were  poorly  prepared  for 
such  severe  weather. 

SUFFERINGS    IN    THE    WINTER    SEASON 

The  scantiness  of  shelter  in  the  early  times  made  very  keen  the  suffering  among 
the  inhabitants  whenever  an  unusually  cold  season  occurred.  Days  and  weeks  of 
extreme  cold  may  be  experienced  in  these  later  days  with  but  passing  comment,  and 
with  comparatively  little  inconvenience;  but  there  was  scarcely  a  winter  in  the  early 
days,  that  a  great  number  of  settlers  arriving  during  the  preceding  months  had 
been  able  to  provide  themselves  with  adequate  protection  against  the  inclemencies 
of  the  weather. 

When  in  1818,  the  father  of  Abraham  Lincoln  removed  from  Kentucky  to  In- 
diana, he  built  a  "half-faced  camp"  of  unhewn  logs,  enclosed  on  three  sides,  the 
open  front  protected  only  by  skins.  Such  a  rude  shelter  was  sometimes  called  a 
"pole-shed,"  described  by  Dennis  Hanks,  a  cousin  of  Lincoln,  as  "just  a  shack 
of  poles,  roofed  over,  but  left  open  on  one  side,  no  floor,  no  fireplace,  not  much  better 
than  a  tree."  In  his  recollections  of  Lincoln,  old  Dennis  Hanks  said,  in  recalling 
the  events  of  his  boyhood,  "We  wasn't  much  better  off  than  Injuns,  except  that  we 
took  an  interest  in  religion  and  politics."  It  may  well  be  imagined  what  hard- 
ships were  endured  in  the  winter  season  under  such  conditions. 

Death  by  freezing  was  a  common  occurrence,  and  a  tragedy  of  this  kind  is 
recorded  in  the  Chicago  Democrat,  in  its  issue  dated  January  28,  1834.  The 
news  item  is  as  follows:  "Mrs.  Smith,  wife  of  a  Mr.  Smith  residing  at  Blue  Island, 
who  left  this  place  on  the  second  of  January,  which  was  the  coldest  day  we  have 
experienced  this  winter,  for  her  home,  when  within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  her 
dwelling,  sank  benumbed  and  exhausted,  to  rise  no  more.  When  found,  she  was 
dreadfully  mangled  and  torn  to  pieces  by  wolves.  She  has  left  a  husband  and 
five  children  to  mourn  her  untimely  end."  A  few  days  later  a  party  in  pursuit 
of  wolves  encountered  a  couple  of  officers  from  the  fort,  who  were  just  returning 
from  a  mission  of  charity  in  visiting  the  half-starved  orphans  of  this  poor  woman 
who  had  been  frozen  to  death  on  the  prairie.  "One  by  one,"  writes  Hoffman,  in 
his  book,  "A  Winter  in  the  West,"  "our  whole  party  collected  around  to  make 
inquiries  about  the  poor  children." 

One  of  the  chief  causes  of  freezing  to  death  was  the  prevalence  of  whisky 
drinking,  which  was  the  reigning  vice  of  the  time.  Whisky  was  on  sale  at  the 
cabins  and  houses  of  many  of  the  early  settlers,  and  often  very  little  or  nothing  else 
in  the  way  of  provisions  or  supplies  could  be  obtained  at  these  so  called  "groceries." 
Thus  in  the  winter  season  many  men  of  drinking  habits  would  walk  long  distances 
to  visit  such  places  scattered  along  the  country  roads  near  Chicago.  The  result 
was  that  many  persons  came  to  their  deaths  by  exposure  to  the  cold  while  in  an 


234  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

intoxicated  condition.  It  was  related  by  Mr.  Benjamin  F.  Hill,  an  early  settler 
of  Gross  Point,  a  dozen  miles  north  of  Chicago,  that  he  recalled  twenty-seven  deaths 
from  freezing  during  the  early  years  of  his  residence  there  in  the  "thirties"  and 
"forties."  These  mostly  occurred  among  the  transient  residents, — discharged  sol- 
diers, lake  sailors  out  of  employment  between  seasons,  and  hired  men.  "Freezing 
to  death,"  said  Mr.  Hill,  "was  more  common  than  any  other  form  of  fatality." 

WINTER   ADVENTURES 

On  one  of  his  journeys  to  Chicago  from  the  south,  Gurdon  S.  Hubbard  had  a 
thrilling  adventure  during  the  winter  season  of  1825.  In  the  spring  of  that  year, 
he  started  on  horseback  from  his  trading  post  on  the  Iroquois  River,  accompanied 
by  two  Indians.  All  the  streams  had  overflowed  as  a  consequence  of  a  recent  pe- 
riod of  warm  weather  but  the  day  after  starting  it  turned  very  cold.  They  en- 
countered a  small  stream  on  the  prairie  upon  which  a  new  covering  of  ice  had  formed 
during  the  previous  night  leaving  running  water  between  two  ice  surfaces.  "The 
upper  ice  was  not  strong  enough  for  a  man  to  walk  on,"  relates  Hubbard,  "but 
the  Indians  laid  down  and  slid  themselves  across  with  little  difficulty.  I  rode 
my  horse  to  the  stream,  and  reaching  forward  with  my  tomahawk  broke  the  ice 
ahead  of  me,  he  walking  on  the  under  ice  until  he  reached  the  middle  of  the 
stream,  when  his  hind  feet  broke  through,  the  girth  gave  away,  and  the  saddle 
slipped  off  behind  carrying  me  with  it.  I  fell  into  the  water  and  was  carried  by 
the  current  rapidly  down  the  stream  between  the  upper  and  lower  coverings  of  ice. 

"I  made  two  attempts  to  gain  my  feet,  but  the  current  was  so  swift  and  the 
space  so  narrow  I  could  not  break  through  the  ice.  I  had  about  given  up  all  hope, 
when  my  hand  struck  a  willow  bush  near  the  bank  and  thus  arrested  my  rapid 
progress.  At  the  same  time  I  stood  up  and  bumping  the  ice  with  my  head  broke 
through.  The  Indians  were  much  astonished  to  see  me  come  up  through  the  ice, 
and  gave  utterance  to  their  surprise  by  a  peculiar  exclamation.  I  recovered  my 
horse  and  saddle  and  returned  to  my  trading  house,  with  no  worse  result  than 
wet  clothing  and  a  slightly  bruised  head." 

HOFFMAN'S  VISIT  TO  CHICAGO 

It  is  always  interesting  to  read  the  accounts  of  transient  visitors  when  written 
with  intelligence  and  sympathy.  Early  in  the  year  1834,  such  a  visitor,  a  man 
of  superior  education  and  literary  accomplishments,  spent  a  fortnight  in  Chicago, 
and  we  owe  to  him  a  most  entertaining  narrative  of  events  and  descriptions  of 
scenes  during  his  brief  sojourn.  This  man  was  Charles  Fenno  Hoffman,  who, 
after  making  a  tour  through  the  western  country,  published  a  book  entitled,  "A 
Winter  in  the  West."  Of  this  work  an  eminent  critic  has  said,  that  "it  will  continue 
to  be  admired  so  long  as  graphic  delineations  of  nature,  spirited  sketches  of  men 
and  manners,  and  richness  and  purity  of  style,  are  appreciated."  1S 

Mr.  Hoffman  arrived  in  Chicago  on  an  extremely  cold  morning  in  winter  by 
way  of  the  lake  shore  from  La  Porte,  Indiana,  thus  called,  he  says,  because  "it 
forms  a  door  opening  upon  an  arm  of  the  Grand  Prairie  which  runs  through  the 

16  Allibone:    "Dictionary  of  Authors,"  p.  858. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  235 

states  of  Indiana  and  Illinois."  On  this  journey,  made  part  of  the  way  in  a  con- 
veyance and  the  latter  part  on  horseback,  he  and  some  fellow  travelers  found  an 
excellent  road  on  the  frozen  sand  close  to  the  water's  edge  for  the  last  twenty-five 
miles  of  their  journey.  "We  galloped  at  full  speed,"  writes  Hoffman,  "every  man 
choosing  his  own  route  along  the  beach,  our  horses'  hoofs  ringing  the  while  as  if 
it  were  a  pavement  of  flint  beneath  them.  The  rough  ice  piled  up  on  the  coast  pre- 
vented us  from  watering  our  beasts ;  and  we  did  not  draw  a  rein  till  the  rushing 
current  of  the  Calaminc  [Calumet],  which  debouches  into  Lake  Michigan  some 
ten  miles  from  Chicago,  stayed  our  course.  A  cabin  on  the  bank  gave  us  a 
moment's  opportunity  to  warm;  and  then,  being  ferried  over  the  wintry  stream, 
we  started  with  fresh  vigor,  and  crossing  about  a  mile  of  prairie  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Chicago,  reached  here  in  time  for  an  early  dinner."  Hoffman's  narra- 
tive is  in  the  form  of  letters,  and  the  one  quoted  from  above  is  dated  at  Chicago, 
January  1,  1834,  that  being  the  day  following  his  arrival.  He  writes,  "Our 
horses  this  morning  seemed  none  the  worse  for  this  furious  riding;  their  escape 
from  ill  consequences  being  readily  attributable  to  the  excellence  of  the  road,  and 
the  extreme  coldness  of  the  weather  while  traveling  it.  For  my  own  part,  I  never 
felt  better  than  after  this  violent  burst  of  exercise." 

WINTER    SPORTS    IN     CHICAGO 

During  Hoffman's  visit  to  Chicago  he  witnessed  a  horse  race  on  the  frozen  sur- 
face of  the  Chicago  River.  In  his  book  he  refers  to  the  attentions  he  received  from 
the  officers  of  the  garrison  during  his  stay  of  two  weeks  in  Chicago,  and  acknowl- 
edges his  indebtedness  to  them  in  many  passages  of  the  book  referred  to.  He  says 
that  he  spent  many  agreeable  hours  with  them  and  the  ladies  of  their  families, 
and  describes  one  occasion  when  several  officers  stopped  at  the  door  of  his  tavern 
"with  a  train  of  carioles,  in  one  of  which  I  was  offered  a  seat,  to  witness  a  pacing 
match  on  the  ice.  There  were  several  ladies  with  the  gentlemen  in  attendance 
already  on  the  river,  all  muffled  up,  after  the  Canadian  fashion,  in  fur  robes,  whose 
gay  trimmings  presented  a  rich  as  well  as  most  comfortable  appearance. 

"The  horses  from  which  the  most  sport  was  expected,  were  a  black  pony  bred 
in  the  country,  and  a  tall  roan  nag  from  the  lower  Mississippi.  They  paced  at  the 
rate  of  a  mile  in  something  less  than  three  minutes.  I  rode  behind  the  winning 
horse  in  one  heat,  and  the  velocity  with  which  he  made  our  cariole  fly  over  the 
smooth  ice  was  almost  startling.  The  Southern  horse  won  the  race;  but  I  was 
told  that  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  the  nags  from  this  part  of  the  country 
could  not  stand  against  a  French  pony." 

A    WOLF    HUNT 

While  the  pacing  match  above  described  was  going  on  the  people  in  attendance 
were  surprised  to  notice  that  a  wolf,  roused  probably  by  the  sound  of  sleigh-bells^ 
had  made  his  appearance  on  the  river  bank,  calmly  surveying  the  sport.  The  pres- 
ence of  this  uninvited  guest  suggested  to  the  gentlemen  that  a  wolf-hunt  on  horse- 
back be  undertaken  in  the  morning,  and  accordingly  the  proper  arrangements  were 
made. 

"It   was   a    fine   bracing   morning,"   continues    Hoffman,    "with   the    sun    shining 


236  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

cheerily  through  the  still  cold  atmosphere  far  over  the  snow  covered  prairie,  when 
the  party  assembled  in  front  of  my  lodgings,  to  the  number  of  ten  horsemen,  all 
well  mounted  and  eager  for  the  sport.  The  hunt  was  divided  into  two  squads,  one 
of  which  was  to  follow  the  windings  of  the  river  on  the  ice,  and  the  other  to  make 
a  circuit  on  the  prairie.  A  pack  of  dogs,  consisting  of  a  greyhound  or  two  for 
running  the  game,  with  several  of  a  heavier  and  fiercer  breed  for  pulling  it  down, 
accompanied  each  party. 

"I  was  attached  to  that  which  took  the  river;  and  it  was  a  beautiful  sight,  as 
our  friends  trotted  off  in  the  prairie,  to  see  their  different  colored  capotes  and 
gaily  equipped  horses  contrasted  with  the  bright  carpet  of  spotless  white  over 
which  they  rode,  while  the  sound  of  their  voices  was  soon  lost  to  our  ears,  as  we 
descended  to  the  channel  of  the  river,  and  their  lessening  figures  were  hid  from  our 
view  by  the  low  brush  which  in  some  places  skirted  its  banks.  The  brisk  trot  in 
which  we  now  broke,  brought  us  rapidly  to  the  place  of  meeting,  where,  to  the 
disappointment  of  each  party,  it  was  found  that  neither  had  started  any  game. 

"We  now  spread  ourselves  into  a  broad  line,  about  gunshot  apart  from  each 
other,  and  began  thus  advancing  into  the  prairie.  We  had  not  swept  it  thus  more 
than  a  mile,  when  a  shout  on  the  extreme  left,  with  the  accelerated  pace  of  the 
two  furthermost  riders  in  that  direction,  told  that  they  had  roused  a  wolf.  'The 
devil  take  the  hindermost,'  was  now  the  motto  of  the  company,  and  each  one  spurred 
for  the  spot  with  all  eagerness.  Unhappily,  however,  the  land  along  the  bank 
of  the  river,  on  the  right,  was  so  broken  by  ravines,  choked  up  with  snow,  that  it 
was  impossible  for  us,  who  were  half  a  mile  from  the  game  when  started,  to  come 
up  at  all  with  the  two  or  three  horsemen  who  led  the  pursuit.  Our  horses  sunk  to 
their  cruppers  in  the  deep  snow  drift.  Some  were  repeatedly  thrown;  and  one  or 
two,  breaking  their  saddle-girths  from  the  desperate  struggles  their  horses  made 
in  the  snow  banks,  were  compelled  to  abandon  the  chase  entirely.  My  stout  roan 
carried  me  bravely  through  all ;  but  when  I  emerged  from  the  last  ravine  on  the 
open  plain,  the  two  horsemen  who  led  the  chase,  from  some  inequality  in  the  sur- 
face of  the  prairie,  were  not  visible;  while  the  third,  a  fleet  rider,  whose  tall  figure 
and  Indian  head-dress  had  hitherto  guided  me,  had  been  just  unhorsed,  and,  abandon- 
ing the  game  afoot,  was  now  wheeling  off  apparently  with  some  other  object  in 
view." 

The  party,  not  discouraged  by  the  failure  of  the  first  run,  gathered  for  a 
moment  to  consider  the  best  course  to  pursue.  It  was  not  yet  noon,  though  they 
had  placed  twelve  miles  of  distance  between  themselves  and  their  starting  point 
at  Chicago.  Their  horses  were  in  good  condition,  and  in  the  full  flush  of  youthful 
spirits  they  at  once  determined  to  continue  the  hunt,  and  scattered  themselves  over 
the  prairie  with  the  hope  of  rousing  more  game. 

"Not  ten  minutes  elapsed,"  continues  the  writer,  "before  a  wolf,  breaking  from 
the  dead  weeds  which,  shooting  eight  or  ten  feet  above  the  level  of  the  snow, 
indicated  the  banks  of  a  deep  ravine,  dashed  off  into  the  prairie,  pursued  by  a  horse- 
man on  the  right.  He  made  instantly  for  the  deep  banks  of  the  river,  one  of  whose 
windings  was  within  a  few  hundred  yards.  He  had  a  bold  rider  behind  him,  how- 
ever, in  the  gentleman  who  led  the  chase,  a  young  educated  half-blood  of  prepos- 
sessing manners  and  well  connected  in  Chicago.  [This  is  a  reference  to  Madore 
Beaubien,  a  son  of  John  B.  Beaubien,  who  had  then  been  a  resident  of  Chicago 


From  "Seven  Pays  in  Clilc;igo" 


WOLF    HUNT    IN    EARLY    DAYS 


By  courtesy  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 


THE    FIRE    OF    1839 

"This  view  represents  the  ruiiis  of  the  fire  on  Lake  street,  which  occurred  in  18:50. 
The  picture  was  drawn  by  George  Davis  on  the  spot.  The  conflagration  commenced 
on  Dearborn  street,  turning  northward  to  the  grocery  store  known  as  'The  Eagle"  and 
south  on  Lake  street,  consuming  the  first  Tremont  House,  on  the  corner  of  Dearborn  mid 
Lake;  then  continuing  west  on  Lake,  consuming  every  building  until  it  reached  the  fire- 
proof store  of  B.  W.  Raymond,  the  first  fire-proof  building  erected  in  the  city.  This  build- 
ing was  then  Xo.  122  Lake  street.  The  fire  was  arrested  on  the  west  by  this  building  and 
on  the  north  by  the  Eagle  grog-shop.  The  site  of  the  fire  was  at  that  time  in  the  intense 
business  part  of  the  city.  Most  of  the  buildings  were  then  constructed  of  wood.  Among 
those,  as  we  recollect  who  were  then  burnt  out  were  David  Hatch,  James  A.  Smith  and 
Joseph  Johnston."  From  the  Chicago  Telegram.  August  10.  1883. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  237 

some  fifteen  years.]  The  precipitous  bank  of  the  stream  did  not  retard  this  hun- 
ter for  a  moment;  but,  dashing  down  to  the  bed  of  the  river,  he  was  hard  upon  the 
wolf  before  he  could  ascend  the  elevation  on  the  opposite  side.  Four  of  us  only 
reached  the  open  prairie  beyond  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  chase. 

"Nothing  could  be  more  beautiful.  There  was  not  an  obstacle  to  oppose  us 
in  the  open  plain,  and  all  our  dogs  having  long  since  given  out,  nothing  remained 
but  to  drive  the  wolf  to  death  on  horseback.  Away  then  we  went,  shouting  on  his 
track,  the  hotly  pursued  beast  gaining  on  us  whenever  the  crust  of  a  deep  snow 
drift  gave  him  an  advantage  over  the  horse;  and  we  in  our  turn  nearly  riding  over 
him  when  we  came  to  ground  comparatively  bare. 

"The  sagacious  animal  became  at  last  aware  that  his  course  would  soon  be  up 
at  this  rate,  and  turning  rapidly  in  his  tracks  as  we  were  scattered  over  the  prairie, 
he  passed  through  our  line,  and  made  at  once  again  for  the  river.  He  was  cut  off 
and  turned  in  a  moment  by  a  horseman  on  the  left,  who  happened  to  be  a  little 
behind  the  rest;  and  now  came  the  keenest  part  of  the  sport.  The  wolf  would 
double  every  moment  upon  his  tracks,  while  each  horseman  in  succession  would 
make  a  dash  at  and  turn  him  in  a  different  direction.  Twice  I  was  near  enough 
to  strike  him  with  a  horsewhip,  and  once  he  was  under  my  horse's  feet;  while  so 
furiously  did  each  rider  push  at  him,  that  as  we  brushed  by  each  other  and  con- 
fronted horse  to  horse,  while  riding  from  different  quarters  at  full  speed,  it  re- 
quired one  somewhat  used  'to  turn  and  wind  a  fiery  Pe'gasus'  to  maintain  his  seat 
at  all. 

"The  rascal,  who  would  now  and  then  look  over  his  shoulder  and  gnash  his 
teeth,  seemed  at  last  as  if  he  was  about  to  succumb;  when,  after  running  a  few 
hundred  yards  in  an  oblique  direction  from  the  river,  he  suddenly  veered  his  course, 
at  a  moment  when  every  one  thought  his  strength  Was  spent,  and  gaining  the  bank 
before  he  could  be  turned,  he  disappeared  in  an  instant.  The  rider  nearest  to  his 
heels  became  entangled  in  the  low  boughs  of  a  tree  which  grew  near  the  spot; 
while  I,  who  followed  next,  was  thrown  out  sufficiently  to  give  the  wolf  time  to 
get  out  of  view  by  my  horse  bolting  as  he  reached  the  sudden  edge  of  the  river. 
The  rest  of  the  hunt  were  consequently  at  fault  when  they  came  up  to  us ;  and 
after  trying  in  vain  to  track  our  lost  quarry  over  the  smooth  ice  for  half  an  hour, 
we  were  most  vexatiously  compelled  to  abandon  the  pursuit  as  fruitless,  and  pro- 
ceed to  join  the  other  squad  of  our  party,  who  could  now  be  seen  at  some  distance, 
apparently  making  for  the  same  point  to  which  our  route  was  leading.  A  thicket 
on  the  bank  soon  hid  them  from  our  view;  and  we  then  moved  more  leisurely  along 
in  order  to  breathe  our  horses. 

"But  suddenly  the  distant  cry  of  hounds  gave  intimation  that  new  game  was 
afoot;  and,  on  topping  a  slight  elevation,  we  discerned  a  party  of  horsemen  far 
away,  with  three  wolves  running  apparently  about  a  pistol-shot  ahead  of  them. 
Our  squad  was  dispersed  in  an  instant.  Some  struck  off  at  once  in  the  prairie,  in  a 
direct  line  for  their  object,  and  were  soon  brought  to  in  the  deep  snow  banks;  others, 
taking  a  more  circuitous  course,  proceeded  to  double  the  ravines  that  were  filled 
with  the  treacherous  drift;  and  some,  more  fortunate,  took  to  the  frozen  river, 
where  the  clatter  of  their  hoofs  on  the  hard  ice  seemed  to  inspirit  their  horses 
anew.  I  chanced  to  be  one  of  the  latter,  and  was  moreover  the  first  to  catch  sight 


238  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

again  of  one  of  the  animals  we  were  pursuing,  and  find  myself  nearer  to  him  than 
any  of  our  party. 

"The  wolf  was  of  the  large  gray  kind.  But  one  of  the  hunters  had  been  able 
to  keep  up  with  him;  and  him  I  could  distinguish  far  off  in  the  prairie,  turning 
and  winding  his  foaming  horse  as  the  wolf  would  double  every  moment  upon  his 
tracks,  while  half  a  dozen  dogs,  embarrassed  in  the  deep  snow,  were  slowly  coming 
up.  I  reached  the  spot  just  as  the  wolf  first  stood  at  bay.  His  bristling  back, 
glaring  eyes,  and  ferociously  distended  jaws  might  have  appalled  the  dogs  for  a 
moment;  when  an  impetuous  greyhound,  who  had  been  for  some  time  pushing 
through  the  snow  drifts  with  unabated  industry,  having  now  attained  a  compara- 
tively clear  spot  of  ground,  leaped  with  such  force  against  the  flank  of  the  wolf  as 
to  upset  him  in  an  instant,  while  the  greyhound  shot  far  ahead  of  the  quarry. 

"He  recovered  himself  instantly,  but  not  before  a  fierce  powerful  hound,  whose 
thick  neck  and  broad  muzzle  indicated  a  cross  of  the  bull-dog  blood  with  that 
of  a  nobler  strain,  had  struck  him  first  upon  the  haunch,  and  was  now  trying  to 
grapple  him  by  the  throat.  Down  again  he  went,  rolling  over  and  over  in  the 
deep  snow,  while  the  clicking  of  his  jaws,  as  he  snapped  eagerly  at  each  member 
of  the  pack  that  by  turns  beset  him,  was  distinctly  audible.  The  powerful  dog, 
already  mentioned,  secured  him  at  last  by  fixing  his  muzzle  deeply  into  the  breast 
of  the  prostrate  animal.  This,  however,  did  not  prevent  the  wolf  giving  some 
fearful  wounds  to  the  other  dogs  which  beset  him;  and,  accordingly,  with  the  per- 
mission of  the  gentleman  who  had  led  the  chase,  I  threw  myself  from  my  horse, 
and  gave  the  game  the  coup-de-grace  with  a  dirk-knife  which  I  had  about  me. 

"Two  of  our  party  soon  after  joined  us,  each  with  a  prairie  wolf  hanging  to 
his  saddle  bow;  and  the  others  gradually  collecting,  we  returned  to  Chicago,  con- 
tented at  last  with  the  result  of  our  morning's  sport." 

It  would  seem  that  Hoffman  had  a  prescience  that  his  descriptions  would  have 
an  interest  for  posterity,  for,  while  writing  for  readers  of  his  own  time,  he  seems 
to  have  kept  in  mind  the  unborn  generations  who,  living  on  the  identical  spot  of 
which  he  is  writing,  and  inhabiting  to  the  number  of  many  hundreds  of  thousands, 
the  houses  and  structures  erected  on  those  very  fields  over  which  he  rode,  would 
peruse  with  absorbing  interest  the  graphic  narrative  written  by  him  three-quarters 
of  a  century  ago.  We  look  upon  a  scene  as  different  from  that  which  Hoffman 
depicted,  as  a  crowded  city  thoroughfare  is  different  from  the  wildness  of  a  North- 
ern Wisconsin  forest. 

And  yet  in  the  circumstantial  detail  which  he  gives  us  it  seems  as  if  he  intepded 
to  leave  a  description  of  the  locality  that  the  people  of  later  times  could  trace, 
and  thus  contemplate  in  wonder  the  contrasts  which  a  little  over  two  generations 
have  brought  about.  Within  five  years  from  the  time  this  writer  came  to  Chicago 
and  witnessed  horse  racing  on  the  ice,  and  galloped  over  vast  plains  far  to  the 
southwest,  the  scene  was  changed  as  if  by  magic;  the  city  had  been  formed,  the  new 
canal  had  been  commenced,  and  commerce  had  taken  possession  of  the  river  and 
streets  of  the  rapidly  advancing  metropolis  of  the  future. 

A   WOLF   DRIVE 

In  one  of  his  lectures  on  the  early  times  in  Chicago,  John  Wentworth  described 
a  wolf  hunt  which  was  quite  elaborately  planned.  The  object  was  to  form  a  line 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  239 

of  mounted  men  far  to  the  south,  and  drive  as  many  wolves  as  could  be  "scared 
up"  towards  the  ice  on  the  lake,  as  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  as  possible.  There 
was  to  be  no  shooting  until  the  wolves  had  got' out  upon  the  ice,  and  then  no  person 
was  to  fire  unless  his  aim  was  entirely  over  ice  and  only  to  the  eastward. 

"Two  parties  started  early  in  the  morning,"  Wentworth  relates,  "one  following 
the  lake  shore  south,  and  the  other  the  river,  to  meet  at  a  common  center  not  far 
from  Blue  Island.  Then  they  were  to  spread  themselves  out,  cover  as  much  ter- 
ritory as  possible,  and  drive  the  wolves  before  them."  About  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  the  wolves  began  to  make  their  appearance  in  the  outskirts  of  the  town, 
trying  to  escape  from  the  advancing  line  of  horsemen,  and  terrified  at  the  outcries, 

"That  thickened  as  the  chase  drew  nigh." 

The  people  turned  out  in  numbers,  keeping  along  the  margin  of  the  river,  so  as 
to  head  the  wolves  towards  the  lake  shore  and  out  upon  the  ice.  Soon  the  horse- 
men came  into  view  and  the  sport  became  fast  and  furious.  "The  number  of 
wolves,"  said  Wentworth,  "was  about  the  same  as  that  of  Samson's  foxes,"  and 
that,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  three  hundred.  The  men  were  so  eager  to  fol- 
low that  their  horses'  hoofs  broke  the  ice  near  the  shore,  and,  the  wind  being 
rather  brisk,  the  ice  became  loosened  and  drifted  towards  the  northeast  bear- 
ing the  hunted  beasts  upon  its  surface. 

Men,  women  and  children  lined  the  bank  of  the  lake,  expecting  to  see  the  ice 
break  in  pieces  and  the  wolves  swim  ashore,  but  nothing  of  the  kind  occurred.  The 
people  watched  the  moving  field  of  ice,  and  could  see  the  bewildered  creatures 
running  from  side  to  side  vainly  seeking  some  means  of  escape;  until  finally  the 
whole  scene  faded  from  view. 

"About  two  weeks  afterwards,"  relates  Wentworth,  "a  letter  appeared  in  a 
Detroit  newspaper  containing  an  account  of  some  farm  settlements,  on  the  eastern 
shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  being  attacked  by  a  large  body  of  hungry  wolves.  They 
destroyed  fowls  and  cattle,  and  for  several  days  spread  terror  through  the  neigh- 
borhood." It  was  supposed  by  many  that  these  were  the  wolves  which  had  gone 
adrift  from  Chicago,  but  men  who  knew  the  lake,  denied  the  possibility  of  their 
surviving  such  a  perilous  voyage,  and,  indeed  there  is  no  doubt  the  whole  pack  was 
drowned. 

AMUSEMENTS 

"But  the  amusement,  par  excellence,  in  those  early  days,"  says  Moses,  "was 
horse  racing.  This  was  patronized  by  all  classes,  and  turf  meetings  brought  out 
the  entire  population.  They  were  made  in.  a  great  measure  to  serve  the  purpose 
of  the  modern  county  fairs."  On  these  occasions  "trading  of  all  kinds  was  trans- 
acted, contracts  entered  into,  debts  paid,  and  questions  of  the  day  discussed."  Be- 
sides the  running  of  horses,  foot  races  among  the  men,  wrestling,  jumping  and 
other  athletic  pastimes,  took  place,  and  were  generally  participated  in  by  the  active 
young  men  in  attendance.  (Moses  I.  233.) 

STIRRING    TIMES    IN    THE    '30's 

The  fall  of  1832  was  a  busy  time  in  the  affairs  of  the  little  settlement  that 
began  to  flourish  to  the  westward  of  the  fort,  and  quite  a  rivalry  sprang  up  between 


240  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

this  locality  and  that  part  of  the  village  situated  at  the  forks  of  the  river.  The 
"Sauganash,"  with  Mark  Beaubien  as  proprietor,  was  established  at  the  site  where 
the  Wigwam  was  built  in  later  times,  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Lake  and  Market 
streets;  and  across  the  river  on  the  West  Side  was  the  "Wolf  tavern"  kept  by 
Elijah  Wentworth.  Communication  between  the  fort  and  adjoining  settlement  with 
that  at  "the  Point"  was  usually  by  boat  or  canoe,  as  the  roads  between  were  heavy 
and  often  impassible. 

Emigration  set  in  during  the  fall  of  1832  in  a  constantly  increasing  tide, 
emigrants  arriving  in  every  sort  of  conveyance;  on  horseback,  in  wagons,  by  lake 
vessels,  and  even  on  foot.  The  first  point  on  their  journeys  westward  was  Chicago, 
beyond  which  the  great  majority  pushed  on  to  the  fertile  lands  to  the  west.  Thus 
it  happened  that  for  the  succeeding  four  years  Chicago  was  continually  adding  to 
her  permanent  residents  from  such  as  saw  brighter  prospects  in  the  growing  town 
than  in  the  allurements  of  the  country  beyond.  Many  new  buildings  were  erected, 
a  ferry  was  established  at  Lake  street,  roads  were  laid  out  towards  the  west  and 
southwest,  vessels  began  arriving  in  increasing  numbers  (though  not  yet  able  to 
enter  the  river),  and  many  possibilities  of  its  commercial  importance  began  to  be 
realized. 

INCREASE    OP   EMIGRATION 

The  settlement  of  the  Indian  troubles  caused  an  increased  rush  of  emigration 
in  1833.  Lines  of  steamers  and  sailing  vessels  were  established  between  Buffalo 
and  Chicago,'  and  "from  that  year  may  properly  date  the  commencement  of  the 
mighty  growth  in  population  and  wealth  of  Illinois,"  says  John  T.  Kingston  in  his 
"Reminiscences,"  printed  in  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections.  "The  great  rush 
of  emigration,  however,"  says  Kingston,  "was  to  Northern  Illinois,  and  no  country 
could  present  greater  inducements  to  the  emigrant,  the  soil,  climate,  and  other 
natural  advantages  were  all  that  could  be  desired." 

The  original  town  of  Chicago  was  laid  out  and  platted  by  the  Canal  Com- 
missioners in  1830,  on  lands  donated  to  the  State  of  Illinois  by  the  general  gov- 
ernment, in  aid  of  the  proposed  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal.  In  the  fall  of  the 
same  year  the  first  sale  of  lots  took  place.  The  few  land  speculators  present  sup- 
posed the  center  of  business  in  the  future  town  would  be  along  the  river,  con- 
sequently the  proximity  of  the  lots  to  the  stream  increased  the  price  bid.  Lots 
on  Lake  street  sold  at  from  twenty  to  forty  dollars ;  on  Randolph  street  some  lots 
sold  as  high  as  eighty  dollars,  while  on  State  street,  Michigan  and  Wabash  avenues, 
the  price  was  considerably  less.10 

BEGINNING    OF    THE    SPECULATIVE    MANIA 

For  some  years  after  the  sales  of  lots  and  lands  from  the  Canal  Section  in 
1830  the  prices  of  real  estate  showed  no  signs  of  advance,  but  by  1834  many  of  the 
first  purchasers  began  to  realize  that  there  was  a  large  profit  in  their  holdings. 
Strangers  from  the  East  seeking  investments  in  the  new  and  growing  town  arrived 
in  numbers,  and  it  did  not  take  long  under  these  circumstances  to  develop  a  strong 
speculative  fever.  "Whatever  might  be  the  business  of  a  Chicagoan,"  says  Andreas, 

lc  Wisconsin    Historical    Collection:    VII,    333. 


Original  owned  by  Chicago  Historical  Society 


"SALOON    BUILDING" 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  241 

"or  however  profitable,  it  was  not  considered  a  full  success  except  it  showed  an 
outside  profit  on  lots  bought  and  sold."  Speculators  were  attracted  by  the  report 
of  quick  returns  on  land  transactions.  During  the  summer  of  1835,  the  Govern- 
ment Land  Office  was  opened,  and  auctions  of  lands  all  over  the  western  country 
were  held  frequently. 

"As  the  interior  became  settled  the  mania  for  land  speculating  spread  through- 
out the  newly-settled  country,  and  Chicago  became  the  mart  where  were  sold  and 
resold  monthly  an  incredible  number  of  acres  of  land  and  land-claims  outside  the 
city,  purporting  to  be  located  in  all  parts  of  the  Northwest.  It  embraced  farm- 
ing lands,  timber  lands,  town  sites,  town  lots,  water  lots,  and  every  variety  of  land- 
claim  or  land  title  ever  known  to  man.  The  location  of  the  greater  portion  of  prop- 
erty thus  sold  was,  as  a  rule,  except  so  far  as  it  appeared  in  the  deed,  unknown 
to  the  parties  to  the  trade;  and,  in  many  cases,  after  the  bubble  had  burst,  the 
holders  of  real  estate  acquired  during  the  excitement,  on  investigation  failed  to 
find  the  land  in  existence  as  described.  Town  lots  were  platted,  often  without  any 
survey,  all  over  Wisconsin  and  Illinois,  wherever  it  was  hoped  that  a  town  might 
eventually  spring  up,  or  wherever  it  was  believed  that  the  lots  could  be  floated  into 
the  great  tide  of  speculative  trade." 

"Between  1830  and  1835,"  says  Professor  Putnam,  "the  increasing  probability 
of  the  early  construction  of  the  canal,  and  the  widely  disseminated  opinion  that 
its  completion  would  greatly  increase  the  value  of  all  the  land  within  a  reasonable 
distance  of  the  route,  and  develop  the  proposed  cities  and  villages  along  its  course, 
led  to  a  steadily  increasing  demand  for  farms  and  town  lots  along  the  line  of  the 
projected  waterway.  This  movement,  slow  at  first,  was  accelerated  as  it  became 
increasingly  apparent  that  the  construction  would  not  be  long  delayed. 

"By  the  beginning  of  the  actual  work  of  construction,  in  1836,  real  estate  specu- 
lation had  become  the  chief  industry  of  the  canal  region.  Shrewd  business  men 
perceived  that  Chicago  would  necessarily  become  the  transfer  point  for  all  pass- 
engers and  commerce  passing  between  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Canal,  and  that  it 
was  destined  to  be  the  emporium  of  western  trade.  A  realization  of  these  facts 
made  the  canal  region,  and  particularly  Chicago,  a  favorite  place  for  the  exer- 
cise of  the  speculative  mania  that  swept  over  the  country  just  prior  to  the  panic 
of  1837."17 

CONDITIONS    IN    1836 

An  interesting  statement  of  conditions  at  Chicago,  in  1836,  appears  in  the 
Chicago  American,  in  its  weekly  issue  of  December  31st,  in  that  year.  The 
Philadelphia  Commercial  Herald  had  requested  information  from  postmasters  and 
editors  in  various  parts  of  the  country  relative  to  certain  important  towns.  Accom- 
panying the  request  was  a  list  of  questions  which  were  replied  to  in  full  by  the 
editor  of  the  American.  The  growing  fame  of  Chicago  had  reached  the  older  cities 
of  the  East,  and  it  had  been  included  in  the  list  of  important  towns  of  which  more 
particular  information  was  desired  by  the  Philadelphia  paper  mentioned.  The  an- 
swers to  some  of  the  questions  are  given  below: 

"Question — What  are  its  public  buildings,  its  schools  and  its  manufactories? 

"Answer — Its  public  buildings  are  one   Episcopal  church  of  brick;   one  brick 

17  Putnam:    "Economical  History  of  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,"  p.  414. 

Vol.  I— Jti 


242  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

banking  house,  the  Chicago  Branch  of  the  State  Bank  at  Springfield;  one  brick 
Courthouse  or  Clerk's  office;  one  Jail;  and  a  small  Postoffice.  There  is  one  Baptist 
church  of  brick  in  the  progress  of  building;  one  Presbyterian  church  of  stone,  about 
to  be  put  under  contract.  .  .  .  There  are  two  select  schools,  and  three  or  four 
district  or  common  schools,  supported  out  of  an  ample  school  fund,  granted  to  the 
State  by  the  general  government.18  Of  manufactories,  there  is  one  foundry,  a 
steam  grist  mill,  a  steam  sawmill,  a  brewery,  and  a  soap  and  candle  factory. 

"Question — When  was  it  settled? 

"Answer — The  town  is  very  young.  It  may  be  said  to  have  been  settled  in 
1832,  after  the  Sac  or  Black  Hawk  war.  .  .  .  Since  the  Sac  war,  Chicago 
has  risen  with  wonderful  rapidity,  and  the  wild  Indian  trading  post  is  this  winter 
applying  for  its  Mayor  and  Aldermen. 

"Question — What  is  the  country  around  it? 

"Answer — The  country  around  Chicago  is  principally  prairie;  the  great  center 
prairie  of  Illinois,  stretching  west  of  it  through  a  great  portion  of  the  State.  .  . 
The  timber  in  the  vicinity  is  principally  oak.  There  is  a  small  pine  grove  on  the 
lake,  near  the  little  Calumet,  about  ten  miles  from  Chicago.  .  .  .  The  country 
is  beautiful,  and  for  fertility  and  aptness  of  soil,  surpasses  anything  at  the  East. 

"Question — Where  do  your  merchants  purchase  their  goods,  chiefly,  and  by 
what  route  or  conveyance  do  they  receive  them? 

"Answer — The  merchants  purchase  their  goods  chiefly  in  New  York;  the  re- 
mainder principally  comes  from  Boston  and  Philadelphia.  They  come  from  New 
York  by  the  Hudson  river,  the  Erie  canal,  and  the  lakes." 

The  speculative  madness  which  took  possession  of  the  people  of  Chicago  was 
described  by  Joseph  N.  Balestier,  in  a  lecture  before  the  Chicago  Lyceum  Jan- 
uary 21,  1840,  only  four  years  after  the  events  to  which  he  refers.  "The  year 
1836,"  he  said,  "is  especially  memorable  in  the  annals  of  Chicago.  An  unregulated 
spirit  of  speculation  had  manifested  itself  very  decidedly  throughout  the  whole 
country  in  the  year  1835,  which,  in  the  succeeding  year,  attained  its  acme. 
The  year  1835  found  us  just  awakened  to  a  sense  of  our  own  importance.  A  short 
time  before,  the  price  of  the  best  lots  did  not  exceed  two  or  three  hundred  dollars, 
and  the  rise  had  been  so  rapid  that  property  could  not,  from  the  nature  of  things, 
have  acquired  an  ascertained  value.  In  our  case,  therefore,  the  inducements  to 
speculation  were  particularly  strong;  and  as  no  fixed  value  could  be  assigned  to 
property,  so  no  price  could,  by  any  established  standard,  be  deemed  extravagant. 

"Moreover,  nearly  all  who  came  to  the  place  expected  to  amass  fortunes  by 
speculating.  The  wonder  then  is,  not  that  we  speculated  so  much,  but  rather  that 
we  did  not  rush  more  madly  into  the  vortex  of  ruin.  Well  indeed  would  it  have 
been,  had  our  wild  speculation  been  confined  to  Chicago;  here,  at  least,  there  was 
something  received  in  exchange  for  the  money  of  the  purchaser.  But  the  few 
miles  that  composed  Chicago  formed  but  a  small  item  among  the  subjects  of  specu- 
lation. So  utterly  reckless  had  the  community  grown,  that  they  chased  every  bubble 
which  floated  in  the  speculative  atmosphere,  .  .  .  the  more  absurd  the  project, 
the  more  remote  the  object,  the  more  madly  were  they  pursued.  The  prairies  of 
Illinois,  the  forests  of  Wisconsin,  and  the  sand-hills  of  Michigan,  presented  an 

18  This  refers  to  section  sixteen,  reserved  as  a  school  section,  in  every  township. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  243 

almost  unbroken  chain  of  supposititious  villages  and  cities.  The  whole  land  seemed 
staked  out  and  peopled  on  paper."  10 

Men  would  besiege  the  land  office  and  buy  tracts  at  a  dollar  and  a  quarter 
an  acre,  and  in  a  few  days  the  buyers  would  have  them  platted  into  town  sites 
in  the  most  approved  rectangular  fashion,  attractively  colored,  and  exhibiting  the 
public  spirit  and  generosity  of  the  proprietor  in  providing  public  squares,  church 
sites,  and  schoolhouse  reservations.  "Often  was  a  fictitious  streamlet  seen  to  wind 
its  romantic  course  through  the  heart  of  an  ideal  city,  thus  creating  water  lots 
and  water  privileges.  But  where  a  real  stream,  however  diminutive,"  continues 
Balestier,  "did  find  its  way  to  the  shores  of  the  lake,  no  matter  what  was  the  char- 
acter of  the  surrounding  country,  some  wary  operator  would  ride  night  and  day 
until  the  place  was  secured  at  the  government  price.  Then  the  miserable  waste 
'of  sand  and  fens,  which  lay  unconscious  of  its  glory  on  the  shore  of  the  lake,  was 
suddenly  elevated  into  a  mighty  city,  with  a  projected  harbor  and  lighthouse,  rail- 
roads and  canals,  and  in  a  short  time  the  circumjacent  lands  were  sold  in  lots.  Not 
the  puniest  brook  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan  was  suffered  to  remain  without 
a  city  at  its  mouth,  and  whoever  will  travel  around  that  lake  shall  find  many  a 
mighty  mart  staked  out  in  spots  suitable  only  for  the  habitations  of  wild  beasts."  20 

This  address  of  Balestier  was  printed  in  the  form  of  a  pamphlet  immediately 
after  its  delivery,  and  reprinted  in  later  years  by  the  Fergus  Printing  Company 
in  their  series  of  historical  pamphlets.  The  lecturer  was  a  lawyer,  a  kinsman  of 
the  Kinzie  family,  who  had  opened  an  office  in  Chicago ;  but  who  soon  after  the 
delivery  of  this  lecture,  though  an  enthusiastic  believer  in  the  destiny  of  the  young 
city,  had  returned  to  his  former  home  in  New  York  City.  In  later  years  he  wrote 
that  the  reason  of  his  return  was  "not  that  he  loved  Chicago  less,  but  his  family 
more,"  and  that  his  heart  "has  ever  been  with  the  home  of  his  earliest  manhood," 
and  that  "he  has  always  rejoiced  in  its  immense  prosperity  and  gloried  in  its 
marvelous  achievements."21 

The  Chicago  Tribune,  in  its  issue  of  November  25,  1872,  contains  a  review 
of  the  address,  as  reprinted  by  the  Fergus  Company,  and  says:  "Balestier  took 
Chicago  as  he  found  it,  a  neighborhood  only  recently  disturbed  and  depressed  by 
the  heaviest  cart-wheels  of  misfortune  in  the  crash  of  1837.  He  makes  a  capital 
and  wise  review  of  the  great  speculative  era  of  1835,  when  he  was  happiest  who 
was  able  to  get  deepest  in  debt;  when  money  was  printed  like  handbills,  when 
paper  towns  and  cities  abounded  throughout  the  West,  when  a  future  great  lake 
port  was  confidently  located  and  staked  out  at  the  mouth  of  every  creek  and  stream- 
let that  emptied  into  Lake  Michigan." 

CHECKS    TO    GROWTH 

In  the  year  that  Chicago  was  incorporated  as  a  city  the  total  amount  of  taxes 
collected  was  $5,905.15.  The  panic  of  that  year  caused  great  distress  to  the  peo- 
ple, of  the  newly  incorporated  city,  and  seriously  checked  the  growth  of  the  place; 
and  in  the  following  two  years  there  was  even  a  slight  diminution  in  its  popula- 

19  Fergus:    Historical  Series,  No.  i,  p.  28. 

20  Ibid.,  p.  28. 
"Ibid.:  p.  5. 


244  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

tion.  The  canal  improvement,  however,  sustained  and  encouraged  the  hopes  of 
the  people,  and,  had  it  not  been  for  the  disastrous  reaction  from  the  exorbitant 
values  of  1835  and  1836,  there  would  have  been  stability  enough,  based  on  the 
legitimate  advantages  and  prospects  of  the  city,  to  have  withstood,  without  much 
injury,  the  widespread  effects  of  the  panic  in  other  parts  of  the  country. 

WILD   CAT    CURRENCY 

The  money  in  circulation  at  that  time  consisted  chiefly  of  the  issues  of  the 
western  banks  of  the  variety  known  as  "wild  cat  currency,"  which  were  generally 
at  a  discount  for  eastern  exchange  of  from  ten  to  twenty  per  cent.  But  little  coin 
was  in  circulation;  occassionally  would  be  seen  pieces  from  the  United  States  or 
Mexican  mints,  or  a  little  gold  and  silver  brought  by  immigrants  from  foreign 
parts.  "Nearly  every  man  in  Chicago  doing  business,"  says  Wentworth,  "was 
issuing  his  individual  scrip,  and  the  city  abounded  with  little  tickets,  such  as  'Good 
at  our  store  for  ten  cents,'  'Good  for  a  loaf  of  bread,'  'Good  for  a  shave,'  'Good 
for  a  drink,'  etc.  When  you  went  out  to  trade,  the  trader  would  look  over  your 
tickets,  and  select  such  as  he  could  use."  22  But  confidence  was  soon  shaken,  some 
declined  to  redeem  their  outstanding  tickets,  and  some  absconded.  Most  of  the 
traders  failed,  charging  the  trouble  to  President  Jackson  for  having  issued  his  fa- 
mous "specie  circular,"  which  it  was  generally  believed  had  brought  on  the  panic. 
Wentworth  relates  that  some  years  after  these  events  he  asked  an  old  settler,  who 
was  a  great  growler,  what  effect  time  had  had  upon  his  views  of  General  Jackson's 
circular.  His  reply  was  that  General  Jackson  had  spoiled  his  being  a  great  man. 
Said  he,  "I  came  to  Chicago  with  nothing,  failed  for  one  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars, and  could  have  failed  for  a  million,  if  he  had  let  the  bubble  burst  in  the 
natural  way."  2S 

VARIOUS    SCHEMES    OF     INFLATION 

About  this  time  the  Michigan  legislators  conceived  a  brilliant  idea  which  it  was 
believed  would  relieve  the  evils  caused  by  the  specie  famine ;  they  passed  what  is 
known  as  the  "Real  Estate  Banking  Law."  Real  estate,  they  contended,  was 
plentiful,  and  what  could  be  better  than  land  on  which  to  base  an  issue  of  currency? 
Michigan  bankers  were  authorized  to  make  issues  based  on  land  mortgages,  and 
the  country  soon  became  flooded  with  this  new  variety  of  wild  cat  currency.  This 
bubble  soon  burst,  however,  and  the  people  looked  to  other  schemes  of  financial 
relief,  which  were  soon  promptly  supplied.  "Some  of  the  speculators  of  Illi- 
nois," says  Wentworth,  "thought  they  would  try  the  Michigan  system,  with  state 
bonds  substituted  for  lands.  .  .  .  Money  was  borrowed,  and  state  bonds  were 
purchased.  The  most  inaccessible  places  in  our  state  were  sought  out  for  the 
location  of  banks,  and  bills  were  extensively  issued.  .  .  .  The  consequences  of 
this  system  were  quite  as  disastrous  as  those  of  the  real  estate  system  of  Michigan. 

"Considering  its  age,"  continues  Wentworth,  in  his  lecture  on  "Early  Chicago," 
delivered  in  1876,  "Chicago  has  been  the  greatest  sufferer  of  any  place  in  the 
world  from  an  irredeemable  paper  money  system.  Its  losses  in  this  respect  will 

22  Fergus:    No.  7,  p.  27. 

23  Ibid.,  p.  28. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  245 

nearly  approximate  those  from  the  Great  Fire.  And  when  you  talk  to  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Chicago  about  the  advantages  accruing  from  an  irredeemable 
money  system,  you  waste  your  labor.  He  has  been  there !"  ^ 


CAUSES    OF    THE    PANIC 


The  causes  of  the  panic  of  1837  may  be  traced,  as  usual  in  the  case  of  financial 
and  industrial  panics,  to  a  previous  period  of  great  prosperity  and  over-confidence 
m  the  future  on  the  part  of  people  engaged  in  business  of  all  kinds.  In  1836 
the  United  States  was  out  of  debt,  and  had  a  surplus  of  nearly  forty  millions  of  dol- 
lars, largely  derived  from  the  sales  of  public  lands."  These  sales  had  been  in- 
creasing at  a  tremendous  rate  for  some  years  previously,  and  as  payment  was  ac- 
cepted by  the  government  in  the  currency  of  the  time,  it  began  to  be  feared  that 
the  banks,  which  were  the  sources  of  issue  of  the  paper  money,  would  not  be  able 
to  redeem  their  bills.  The  surplus  had  been  largely  deposited  with  the  banks 
throughout  the  country,  and  the  banks  soon  came  to  regard  these  deposits  by  the 
government  as  sufficiently  permanent  to  make  use  of  the  funds  in  an  unwise  ex- 
pansion  of  loans. 

About  this  time  a  proposal  was  made  in  Congress  to  distribute  the  surplus  as 
"loans"  among  the  states,  and  accordingly  a  bill  was  passed  on  the  23d  of  June, 
1836,  to  that  effect.20  The  spirit  of  speculation  had  by  this  time  almost  reached 
its  climax,  and  President  Jackson,  "in  his  own  inconsiderate  and  thoroughgoing 
manner,"  as  Von  Hoist  expresses  it,  endeavored  to  check  the  speculative  rage.  On 
his  own  responsibility,  Jackson  issued  his  famous  "Specie  circular"  under  date 
of  July  11,  1836,  in  which  he  forbade  the  acceptance  by  the  agents  of  the  United 
States  of  anything  but  gold  and  silver  in  payment  for  public  lands.  After  this 
circular  had  been  issued  it  was  but  a  question  of  time  when  the  bubble  would  burst. 
"It  was  barely  deferred,"  says  Lamed,  "till  Jackson  went  out  of  office  in  the 
spring  of  1837."27 

THE    BURSTING    OP    THE    BUBBLE 

Scarcely  had  Jackson's  successor,  President  Van  Buren,  taken  office  before 
the  country  found  itself  in  the  midst  of  the  worst  financial  panic  it  has  ever  passed 
through.^s  In  the  following  May  the  banks  began  to  suspend  payments  of  their 
obligations  in  specie.  Failures  among  mercantile  houses  rapidly  followed,  and  be- 
came widespread.  Trade  relations  were  almost  suspended,  bankruptcies  came  in 
avalanches,  and  factories  were  closed,  throwing  thousands  out  of  employment. 

Thus  within  two  months  after  Chicago  had  become  an  incorporated  city,  its 
people  found  themselves  in  the  midst  of  the  financial  storm.  The  rapid  and  un- 
precedented rise  in  the  values  of  real  estate  in  the  form  of  land  tracts,  town  lots 
and  water  privileges  had  brought  about  wild  speculation,  which  had  been  partici- 
pated in  by  all  classes  of  the  people.  "The  farmer,  the  manufacturer  and  mer- 
chant, instead  of  paying  their  debts,  bought  lands.  The  country  merchant  bought 

24  Fergus:    No.  7,  p.  31. 

25  Von  Hoist:    II,  187. 
20  Ibid.:  188. 

27  Lamed:     Seventy  Centuries,   II,   411. 

28  J.  A.  James:    "American  History,"  313. 


246  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

lands  and  paid  the  city  merchant,  as  well  for  his  old  debts  as  for  his  new  purchases 
in  this  new  currency,  upon  the  strength  of  valuation,  which  deceived  himself  as 
well  as  his  creditors."  29 

"In  Chicago,  lots  which  had  sold  for  a  thousand  dollars  on  the  fictitious  balloon 
basis,"  says  Moses,  "would  not  bring  in  specie  one  hundred.  Those  whose  profits 
had  made  them  apparently  rich,  and  whose  assets,  on  paper,  aggregated  many  thou- 
sands of  dollars,  suddenly  found  themselves  reduced  to  poverty.  Their  depreciated 
lots  and  lands  were  unsalable,  and  their  unpaid  obligations  stared  them  in  the  face. 
About  the  only  consolation  to  be  found,  in  the  contemplation  of  their  broken  for- 
tunes and  blasted  hopes,  lay  in  the  fact  that  the  ruin  had  been  a  common  one,  in 
which  all  shared  alike."  30 

The  people,  however,  began  to  take  an  account  of  their  assets,  and  the  situation 
was  confronted  with  brave  hearts.  "The  city  with  its  few  substantial  improve- 
ments, was  not  gone;  its  site  and  natural  facilities  for  commercial  growth  could 
not  be  obliterated  from  the  map  of  the  world;  its  stout-hearted  citizens,  with  their 
abiding  faith  in  the  future  and  their  undaunted  courage,  remained.  Neither  had 
the  canal  succumbed  to  the  general  collapse,  the  work  of  construction,  though  re- 
tarded and  slow,  thanks  to  the  sales  of  valuable  real  estate,  which  could  yet  find 
purchasers,  being  continued  for  several  years."31 

EXTERNAL    ASPECT   OF    THE    CITY 

At  this  time  the  inhabited  portions  of  the  city  lay  along  North  and  South  Water 
streets,  and  those  parts  of  La  Salle,  Clark  and  Dearborn  streets,  which  intersected 
them.  Buildings  on  Lake  street  extended  continuously  from  Dearborn  to  La  Salle 
streets,  those  on  South  Water  street  a  little  farther  west.  The  buildings,  mostly 
constructed  of  wood,  were  generally  one  or  two  stories  in  height.  The  Saloon 
Building,  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Lake  and  Clark  streets,  was  built  of  brick, 
as  were  also  the  Courthouse,  which  stood  on  the  public  square,  the  State  Bank 
Building,  at  the  southwest  corner  of  South  Water  and  La  Salle  streets,  the  City 
Hotel,  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Clark  and  Randolph  streets,  on  the  present  site 
of  the  Sherman  House,  and  the  Lake  House,  at  the  corner  of  Rush  and  Michigan 
streets. 

"There  were  about  a  dozen  hotels,"  says  Moses,  "the  best  patronized  of  which 
were  the  City  Hotel,  on  Clark  street,  the  Tremont,  at  the  corner  of  Lake  and 
Dearborn  streets,  and  the  Lake  House,  at  the  intersection  of  Rush  and  Michigan 
streets.  The  Tremont  first  stood  on  the  northwest  corner  of  the  streets  named,  but 
was  consumed  by  fire  on  October  27,  1839,  together  with  most  of  the  block."  32  It 
was  rebuilt  on  the  southeast  corner,  diagonally  opposite  to  its  former  location,  and, 
though  having  been  burned  three  times  afterwards,  it  continued  in  the  first  rank 
of  hotels  until  quite  recent  years.  It  is  now  the  property  of  the  Northwestern 
University  of  Evanston,  and  is  known  as  the  Northwestern  University  Building,  hav- 
ing been  remodeled  to  adapt  it  to  the  purposes  of  that  institution. 

29  Citation  by  Von  Hoist,  II,  194. 

30  Moses  and  Kirkland:    "Chicago,"  I,  104. 
"Ibid.:  104. 

"Ibid.:    105. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  247 

THE     LAKE    HOUSE 

It  was  an  important  event  when  the  Lake  House  was  completed  on  the  North 
Side  on  the  corner  of  Rush  and  Michigan  streets.  An  article  is  quoted  by  Hurlbut 
from  the  Chicago  Tribune,  without  mentioning  its  date  of  issue,  which  is  substan- 
tially as  follows: 

The  Lake  House  enterprise  was  inaugurated  in  the  palmy  days  of  the  North 
Side.  It  was  a  great  day  for  the  North  Side  when  ground  was  broken,  in  1835, 
for  the  beginning  of  the  Lake  House,  at  a  convenient  distance  from  the  river  bank, 
confronting  the  neatly  kept  and  brilliantly  whitewashed  buildings  and  stockade  of 
Fort  Dearborn  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  There  were  associated  in  this  un- 
dertaking Gurdon  S.  Hubbard,  John  H.  Kinzie,  Captain  David  Hunter,  and  Major 
James  B.  Campbell.  The  plans  called  for  an  outlay  of  ninety  thousand  dollars. 
It  was  built  of  brick  in  an  exceeding  good  style  for  the  time. 

When  the  Lake  House  was  erected  there  was  nothing  between  it  and  the 
shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  distant  only  a  few  hundred  feet,  excepting  the  great  cot- 
ton-wood trees  that  had  sheltered  the  pioneer  Kinzie  House.  From  three  sides 
the  Lake  House  looked  out  on  the  blue  expanse,  north,  east  and  south.  It  was  fin- 
ished early  in  the  fall  of  1836.  The  opening  was  a  festive  event;  it  took  place 
during  the  flush  times  preceding  the  crash  of  1837,  money  was  plenty,  and  its 
prospects  for  success  were  excellent.  It  was  resorted  to  by  the  officers  of  the 
garrison,  judges  on  their  circuits,  canal  contractors,  lake  captains,  politicians,  spec- 
ulators and  travelers.  It  was  taken  in  charge  after  its  opening  by  Jacob  Russell, 
who  came  from  Connecticut.  Russell  afterwards  went  across  the  river  and  took 
charge  of  the  City  Hotel,  and  the  Lake  House  then  came  into  the  hands  of  George 
E.  Shelley  of  Baltimore.  Shelley  was  soon  succeeded  by  Daniel  S.  Griswold,  also 
a  Baltimore  man,  who  remained  in  charge  one  year.  Then  Thomas  Dyer  bought 
the  whole  establishment  for  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  William  Rickcords  of  Buf- 
falo took  charge  in  September,  1844. 

"But  nothing  could  save  the  Lake  House,"  says  the  writer  of  the  article  which 
we  have  quoted  from  above.  "It  was  out  of  the  way,  almost  inaccessible,  and  was 
sure  death  to  a  landlord,  and  grew  worse  year  by  year;"  33  and,  in  1852,  it  was  said 
of  it  that  it  looked  like  some  old  deserted  castle.  In  its  time  it  had  been  regarded 
as  the  "crack  hotel"  of  the  West.  The  building  was  at  last  converted  into  resi- 
dence apartments,  and  used  as  such  until  it  was  destroyed  in  the  Great  Fire  of 
1871. 

Among  the  celebrities  entertained  there  were  Daniel  Webster,  General  Winfield 
Scott,  and  Governor  Lewis  Cass.  "It  was  built  at  a  time  when  there  was  sharp 
rivalry  for  supremacy,"  says  Frederick  F.  Cook,  in  his  recent  book  on  Chicago, 
"Bygone  Days,"  "between  the  north  and  south  divisions,  and  its  promoters  en- 
tertained the  hope  that  this  piece  of  enterprise  would  effectually  stop  the  exodus 
to  the  south  division." 

TREMONT     HOUSE 

The  Tremont  House  and  the  lot  on  which  it  stood  also  had  a  checkered  career. 
A  man,  who  is  quoted  by  Andreas  as  having  spent  some  time  here  in  the  early 
"thirties"  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Chicago  Times  under  date  of  March  15,  1876,  a 

33  Hurlbut:    524. 


248  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

portion  of  which  is  quoted  as  follows:  "The  most  historic  lot  in  Chicago  un- 
doubtedly is  the  one  occupied  by  the  Tremont  House  [evidently  referring  to  its 
later  location].  It  has  been  in  the  'raffle-box,'  swapped  for  ponies,  refused  for  a 
barrel  of  whisky,  and  when  an  old  settler  wants  to  give  you  an  idea  of  the  city 
when  he  first  planted  his  feet  in  the  mud  here,  he  will  somehow  associate  the 
price  of  the  Tremont  House  lot  with  it;  and  any  old  settler  will  tell  the  year  of 
your  arrival  by  giving  him  the  value  of  the  lot  at  that  particular  time. 

"One  old  codger  will  tell  you,  'when  I  came  here  I  could  have  bought  the  lot 
the  Tremont  House  stands  on  for  a  cord  of  wood ;'  that  means  1831.  Another  puts 
the  value,  with  the  preliminary  remark,  at  'a  pair  of  boots;'  that  means  1832.  A 
third  fixes  the  price  at  'a  barrel  of  whiskey;'  that  means  1833.  A  fourth  adds  'a 
yoke  of  steers  and  a  barrel  of  flour;'  that  means  1834.  A  fifth  talks  about  'five 
hundred  dollars;'  that  means  1835.  A  year  or  two  afterward  it  was  worth  five 
thousand  dollars,  and  is  now  [1876]  worth  five  hundred  thousand  dollars." 

THE  FIRE  OP   1839 

The  first  "great"  fire  which  Chicago  suffered  occurred  on  October  27,  1839,34 
starting  on  Lake  street,  near  Dearborn.  The  fire  was  checked  by  blowing  up  a 
building  in  its  course,  but  not  before  the  Tremont  House  and  seventeen  other  build- 
ings were  destroyed,  with  a  total  loss  of  about  $60,000  or  $70,000,  a  large  amount 
in  those  days.  The  list  of  those  who  were  burned  out  included  most  of  the  "mer- 
chant princes"  of  the  city.  The  fire  department  at  that  time  consisted  of  a  chief, 
the  Chicago  Fire  Guards  Bucket  Company,  an  engine  company,  and  a  hook  and 
ladder  company.  The  equipment  included  two  engines,  two  sixteen-foot  ladders, 
one  thousand  feet  of  hose,  two  fire  hooks  with  chains  and  ropes,  four  axes  and  four 
hand  saws. 

The  ordinance  of  November,  1835,  establishing  the  "bucket  brigade"  directed 
every  occupant  of  a  store  or  dwelling  "to  have  one  good  painted  leathern  fire  bucket, 
with  the  initials  of  the  owner's  name  painted  thereon."  There  must  be  one  bucket 
for  each  stove  or  fire  place  in  the  building,  the  buckets  to  be  hung  in  conspicuous 
places.  A  fine  was  imposed  for  neglecting  to  provide  the  proper  number  of  buck- 
ets, as  well  as  for  the  failure  of  a  bucket  owner  to  go  immediately  to  the  fire  tfith 
his  bucket. 

Later,  in  1857,  there  were  two  large  fires  in  Chicago,  one  happening  in  March, 
another  in  October.  The  former  occurred  at  the  corner  of  South  Water  and  State 
streets,  burning  a  five-story  brick  block  and  the  adjacent  buildings.  The  latter 
was  the  most  destructive  of  any  fire  that  had  visited  the  city,  starting  in  South 
Water  street  and  spreading  rapidly  in  all  directions.  Not  only  was  the  loss  of 
property  great,  in  the  destruction  of  some  of  the  finest  business  blocks  of  the 
city,  but  twenty-three  lives  were  lost  in  this  fire.  By  a  sad  irony  of  circumstance 
the  engines  and  hose  were  in  poor  condition  to  cope  with  fire,  having  been  seriously 
damaged  in  a  series  of  contests  held  a  few  days  before,  to  test  the  efficiency  of  the 
department. 

STAGE  ROADS  TO  THE  EAST 

"Previous  to  1837,"  says  A.  D.  Field,  in  his  "Recollections,"  "the  stage  road 
from  Chicago  to  Michigan  City  ran  around  the  head  of  the  lake.  All  wagons 

84  Andreas:  I,  151. 


From  Blanchard'o  "The  Northwest  ami  Chicago" 


WOLF    I'OINT    IX    18H2 

Wolf  Tavern  is  shown  on  the  left.  This  view  represents  the  point  at  which  the  Chi- 
cago river  divides,  forming  the  north  and  south  branches.  Along  these  banks  are  now 
warehouses,  grain  elevators  and  docks  for  freight  and  ptssei'ger  boats. 


:: 

(22 


By  courtesy  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society 

From  a  picture  printed  in  the  Chicago  directory  of  1845 

THIS  HOTEL  WAS  BUILT  IN  1836  ON  THE  NORTH   SIDE.  ON  THE  CORNER  OF 
RUSH  AND  MICHIGAN   STREETS 

It  stood  until  1871,  when  it  was  burned  in  the  Great  Fire 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  249 

ploughed  the  deep  sand  along  the  sandy  ridges  that  skirted  the  lake.  But  in  1837 
the  road  was  changed,  and  at  the  Calumet  it  swerved  off  and  took  a  circle  over 
the  black  oak  ridges  going  eight  or  ten  miles  south  of  the  end  of  the  lake.  Through 
all  that  country  the  land  lay  in  swales  and  ridges  like  waves,  the  ridges  being  about 
four  or  five  rods  wide.  South  of  the  Calumet  River,  at  what  is  now  Hammond, 
Indiana,  the  ridges  were  covered  with  huckleberries  and  wintergreens.  Previous 
to  1837  the  Calumet  River  at  Calumet,  now  South  Chicago,  was  crossed  by  a  rope 
scow  ferry.  But  in  1837  a  floating  plank  toll-bridge  was  built  at  Calumet,  and  over 
the  Calumet  River  eight  miles  on  from  Calumet,  at  Hammond,  a  pile  bridge  was 
built  in  1837.  From  this  point  on,  all  travel  went  that  way.  The  only  inhabitants, 
except  Indians,  along  this  route  were  the  tavern  keepers,  but  at  Calumet  (South 
Chicago)  there  were  only  some  three  families  in  the  years  1837  to  1839. 

"Three  miles  from  Chicago  was  My  rick's  tavern;  three  miles  farther  was  the 
Half-way  House;  three  miles  farther  was  Nyrum  Hurd's  tavern;  three  miles  far- 
ther was  Calumet,  where  old  man  Jefferson  kept  the  plank  toll  bridge  and  his  son 
Hiram  Jefferson  and  Mr.  Garland  kept  the  tavern.  Four  miles  farther,  near  the 
present  Hegewisch,  was  Isaac  Hale's  tavern.  This  tavern  keeper  was  my  step- 
father. Mr.  Hale  left  the  Pinery  on  the  lake,  twenty  miles  from  Chicago,  in  the 
spring  of  1837,  and  set  up  tavern  keeping  in  a  two-room  house  with  chamber,  built 
of  hewed  pine  logs.  Hale's  tavern  was  sixteen  miles  from  Chicago.  Four  miles 
farther  David  Pierce  kept  a  stage  tavern.  As  at  present  known,  Hammond  was 
three  miles  farther,  and  Lemuel  Mulkins'  place  was  twelve  miles  beyond.  Thus 
the  entire  distance  from  Chicago  to  Ainsworth  was  thirty-five  miles. 

"The  stages  were  open  stage  wagons  drawn  by  four  horses.  A  four-horse  team 
came  from  Chicago  to  Calumet,  twelve  miles,  in  the  morning,  and  went  back  to 
Chicago  in  the  afternoon.  A  four-horse  team  drove  to  Pierce's  eight  miles  farther, 
in  the  forenoon,  and  returned  to  Calumet  in  the  afternoon.  The  stages  met  at 
Pierce's.  Two  four-horse  teams  ran  between  Pierce's  and  Ainsworth.  In  1837 
the  travel  and  stage  business  along  this  route  was  endless,  but  in  1838  travel  nearly 
ceased,  and  the  stages  were  reduced  to  two-horse  hacks.  I  presume  the  steamboat 
lines  across  the  lakes  had  cut  off  the  stage  custom,  and  the  travel  by  land  was  thus 
greatly  diminished. 

"In  those  days,  1837  and  1838,  wagons  and  men  on  horseback  frequently  passed 
our  doors,  having  travelled  all  the  way  from  New  York.  I  know  that  Reverend 
Richard  A.  Blanchard,  afterward  a  prominent  Methodist  preacher,  came  that  way 
from  the  'Genesee  Country'  in  New  York  in  a  'gig' — a  two-wheeled  concern." 

Many  travelers  from  the  East  reached  the  lake  shore  near  the  point  where 
the  Riviere  du  Chemin  empties  into  the  lake  (Michigan  City),  and  continued  along 
the  water's  edge  to  Chicago,  like  the  demon  horseman  in  Burger's  "Leonore;" 

"Tramp,   tramp,    across    the    land    they    rode, 
Splash,  splash,  along  the  sea." 

STAGE   ROADS   TO  THE   NORTH 

"When  we  lived  on  the  west  side  in  1836,"  continues  Field,  "the  Milwaukee 
stage  coach  passed  our  door  every  day.  I  remember  this,  for  the  leaders  were 
'John'  and  'Nance,'  the  team  my  father  had  driven  to  a  two-horse  wagon  from 


250  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

Chautauqua  County,  New  York,  to  Chicago,  in  the  fall  of  1834,  the  year  before 
he  brought  his  family.  Just  where  the  stage  road  went  from  our  house  I  do  not 
know,  but  there  was  hardly  any  passage  along  the  lake  shore  to  the  north.  In 
after  years  I  was  told  that  the  road  swung  west  to  Libertyville  by  Dutchman's 
Point,  where  John  Plank  kept  a  tavern  in  the  early  days. 

STAGE    ROADS    TO    THE    WEST 

"In  1840  and  1843  there  were  two  routes  striking  west  from  Chicago  to  Elgin 
and  other  Fox  River  points.  One  crossed  the  Desplaines  near  Riverside ;  the  other, 
an  earlier  road,  turned  northwest.  The  first  tavern,  three  or  four  miles  from  Chi- 
cago, was  Lytle's.  Then  across  the  Desplaines  was  young  man  Hoyt's,  or  Buck- 
horn  tavern;  then  old  man  Hoyt's  at  Bloomingdale ;  then  Leatherman's  about  four 
miles  from  Elgin." 

THE  ROUTE  FROM  THE  EAST 

The  pioneers  who  found  their  way  to  Chicago  by  way  of  Detroit  in  the  years 
from  1832  to  1834,  had  to  go  in  primitive  fashion  by  mailcoach,  by  flat  boats  with 
Indian  guides,  by  schooner,  or  whatever  conveyance  they  could  get  for  any  part 
of  the  way.  A  volume  recently  published,  entitled  "The  Story  of  the  Great  Lakes," 
by  Professor  Edward  Channing  of  Harvard  University,  recalls  these  early  modes 
of  travel  in  an  interesting  manner.  For  the  traveler  of  the  early  forties,  he  says 
"there  were  three  regular  and  established  routes  by  any  one  of  which  he  would 
be  reasonably  comfortable.  One  was  by  steamer  through  the  lakes,  but  this  he 
more  commonly  took  on  his  return  trip.  A  second  was  by  railroad  to  Ypsilanti, 
thirty-three  miles  away,  [opened  in  1842]  from  which  a  regular  line  of  stages  ran 
to  St.  Joseph  on  Lake  Michigan,  one  hundred  and  seventy  miles  across  the  state, 
and  thence  by  steamer  the  remaining  sixty  miles  to  Chicago. 

"At  Chicago  the  visitor  stopped  to  wonder,  as  men  have  stopped  to  wonder  ever 
since.  The  splendid  location  of  the  town  as  a  commercial  thoroughfare  between  the 
lakes  and  the  Mississippi  had  made  it  an  easy  victim  to  the  land-boom  of  1834  and 
1835,  and  Mr.  Buckingham,  visiting  there  in  1840,  was  told  by  persons  who  had  been 
present  at  the  time  that  building  lots  on  streets  only  marked  out  on  paper  had  been 
sold  over  and  over  again  in  a  day,  with  an  advance  of  price  each  time  until  the  even- 
ing purchaser  was  likely,  at  the  very  least,  to  pay  ten  times  as  much  as  the  morn- 
ing buyer  of  the  same  lot. 

"Chicago  had,  however,  been  able  to  survive  the  succeeding  panic  in  1837,  which 
swamped  for  the  time  being  several  smaller  towns.  It  was  now  a  prosperous  trading 
center  of  six  thousand  people.  The  town  was  planned  with  the  symmetry  of  all 
these  newly  built  cities,  and  the  streets  were  of  good  width  with  rows  of  trees  sep- 
arating the  plank  sidewalks  from  the  main  road.  None  of  the  streets  was  as  yet 
paved ;  and  indeed  many  of  them  had  still  the  green  turf  of  the  prairie  grass  in  the 
center.  So  scarce  was  stone  and  so  high  was  labor  that  a  small  piece  of  flagstone 
pavement  around  the  Lake  House  had  cost  nine  hundred  dollars, — an  extravagance 
which  no  one  else  had  yet  committed.  On  the  south  side  of  the  river  were  the  stores, 
many  of  them  built  of  brick,  and  the  main  street  was  a  busy  trading  mart.  There 
were  in  the  city  six  churches,  four  hotels,  banks,  and  insurance  offices,  and  along 
the  water  front  stretched  a  growing  line  of  warehouses.  The  fashionable  residen- 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  251 

tial  district  was  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  where  were  avenues  of  large  villas 
surrounded  by  gardens.  Between  the  two  parts  ran  a  ferry  boat,  drawn  across  the 
river  by  a  rope,  and  passing  and  repassing  every  five  minutes.  This  was  maintained 
by  subscription  among  the  inhabitants,  and  no  fee  was  therefore  charged  for  crossing.'' 

MARGARET   FULLER  IN    CHICAGO 

Margaret  Fuller  spent  the  summer  of  1843  on  the  lakes,  and  left  a  charming 
account  of  her  impressions.  Chicago  she  found  rather  commercial,  she  says,  "with 
no  provision  for  the  student  or  the  idler,"  but  in  other  respects  she  saw  the  great 
advantages  it  possessed  in  regard  to  trade.  "There  can  be  no  two  places  in  the 
world  more  completely  thoroughfares,"  she  says,  "than  this  place  and  Buffalo."  To 
quote  Professor  Channing's  summary ;  "They  were  to  her  two  correspondent  valves 
that  opened  and  shut  all  the  time,  as  the  life  blood  rushed  from  east  to  west  and 
back  again.  Yet  even  in  this  business  place,  she  saw  for  the  first  time  in  her  drives 
along  the  lake  shore  the  beautiful  prairie  flowers  of  the  West.  To  her  the  most  pic- 
turesque sight  in  all  Chicago  were  the  lines  of  Hoosier  wagons,  in  which  the  rough 
farmers  who  had  driven  in  from  the  country  camped  on  the  edge  of  the  city,  living 
on  their  own  supplies  of  provisions  and  seeming  as  they  walked  about  the  town  like 
foreign  peasantry  put  down  among  the  'active,  inventive  business  people'  of  Chicago. 
With  the  characteristically  sharp  contrasts  of  this  wonderful  new  land,  the  other 
sight  which  interested  her  especially  was  the  arrival  of  the  great  lake  steamers,  mag- 
nificent floating  palaces  of  six  and  eight  hundred  tons,  which  'panted  in  from  their 
rapid  and  marvelous  journey'  of  a  thousand  miles  from  Buffalo.  When  she  went 
out  to  watch  the  lights  of  these  boats  as  they  came  in  at  night  she  heard  as  she  walked 
along  on  one  side  the  Hoosier  dialect,  on  another,  cultivated  French,  and  the  very 
next  moment  the  sounds  of  German,  Dutch,  and  Irish.  Then  as  now  Chicago  was 
a  cosmopolitan  city." 

SOCIETY    OF    THE    EARLY    DAYS 

"In  most  new  settlements  there  can  always  be  pointed  out  some  particular  class," 
said  John  Wentworth,  "who  give  tone  to  the  early  society ;  such  as  the  Pilgrims  and 
Puritans  of  New  England,  the  Knickerbockers  of  New  York,  the  Huguenots  of  South 
Carolina,  the  Creoles  of  New  Orleans,  and,  in  later  days,  men  identified  with  manu- 
facturing interests,  mining  interests,  railroad  interests,  or  with  seminaries  of  learn- 
ing. But  here  in  Chicago,  in  early  times,  we  had  not  any  one  prevailing  class  or  in- 
terest; nor  was  there  any  sufficient  number  of  people  from  any  particular  locality 
to  exercise  a  controlling  influence  in  moulding  public  sentiment. 

"We  had  people  from  almost  every  clime,  and  of  almost  every  opinion.  We  had 
Jews  and  Christians,  Protestants,  Catholics,  and  infidels;  among  Protestants  there 
were  Calvinists  and  Armenians.  Nearly  every  language  was  represented  here.  Some 
people  had  seen  much  of  the  world,  and  some  very  little.  Some  were  quite  learned, 
and  some  very  ignorant.  We  had  every  variety  of  people,  and  out  of  these  we  had 
to  construct  what  is  called  society.  The  winters  were  long;  no  railroads,  no  tele- 
graphs, no  canal,  and  all  we  had  to  rely  upon  for  news  were  our  weekly  newspapers". 
We  had  no  libraries,  no  lectures,  no  theatres  or  other  places  of  amusement." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

ERA  OF  INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS 

RAILROAD     BUILDING RAPID     INCREASE     IN     POPULATION PEOPLE     ENTHUSIASTIC     OVER 

INTERNAL      IMPROVEMENTS LEGISLATURE       OF       1836 THE       PERSONNEL      OF      THE 

LEGISLATURE LEGISLATIVE       TACTICS THE       "LONG       NINE" AN       IMMENSE       DEBT 

INCURRED THE     PANIC     OF      1837 THE     CHICAGO     HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE     AT     CHI- 
CAGO  THE      FORERUNNER     OF      THE      CHICAGO     &      NORTH-WESTERN      RAILWAY— THE 

GALENA      &      CHICAGO      UNION      RAILROAD STRAP      RAILS      USED THE      "PIONEER"- 

DEPOT     ON      THE      WEST      SIDE IMPROVEMENTS     AND      EXTENSIONS DEPOT      ON      THE 

NORTH      SIDE EXTENSIONS     TO     THE      MISSOURI     RIVER THROUGH     TRAINS     TO     MIL- 
WAUKEE  SUBURBAN    SERVICE THE    GREAT    CONSOLIDATION END    OF    THE    GALENA 

&     CHICAGO     UNION NAME     OF     CHICAGO     &     NORTH-WESTERN     ADOPTED PRIVILEGES 

OF      COMMON      AND      PREFERRED      STOCK VARIOUS      EXTENSIONS CHANGES      IN      THE 

PRESIDENCY PROGRESS       DURING       TEN       YEARS — -FURTHER       IMPORTANT       EVENTS 

LATER       IMPROVEMENTS REVIEW        OF,       FORTY        YEARS       OF        GROWTH THE        NEW 

TERMINAL ADMINISTRATION    OF    THE    ROAD. 

ERA    OF    INTERNAL    IMPROVEMENTS RAILROADS 

HE  state  of  Illinois,  in  1837,  entered  upon  an  extensive  system  of  internal 
improvements  which  resulted  in  a  total  failure  and  left  a  heavy  debt 
which  the  people  were  many  years  in  liquidating.  There  was  an  un- 
usual longing  of  the  people  for  increased  facilities  of  transportation.  The 
eastern  states  had  set  the  example  of  extensive  improvements  in  canal 
and  railroad  building.  The  Erie  canal  had  been  completed  by  New  York  state  in 
1825,  and  the  people  of  that  state  were  wrought  up  to  a  high  pitch  of  expectation, 
and  all  through  the  sea-board  states  the  spirit  of  internal  improvement  became 
especially  active.  As  early  as  1826,  Ohio  began  the  construction  of  a  canal  to  join 
the  waters  of  Lake  Erie  and  the  Ohio  river.  Indiana  launched  an  extensive  system 
of  improvements,  and  our  own  state  had  begun  the  building  of  the  Illinois  and 
Michigan  canal. 

At  this  time  a  few  railroads  had  been  built  in  the  eastern  states,  several  lines 
being  in  operation.  The  opening  of  the  first  railroad  in  England  had  taken  place 
in  September,  1825,  when  George  Stephenson  ran  a  train  of  a  dozen  or  more  cars, 
some  loaded  with  coal,  and  others  with  passengers  from  Stockton  to  Darlington. 
Descriptions  of  this  event  filled  the  newspapers  of  the  day.  "People  in  large  num- 
bers," says  one  account,  "had  gathered  for  the  occasion,  and  when  the  train  started, 
many  in  doubt  of  its  promised  speed,  tried  to  keep  up  with  it  on  foot,  gentry  on 
horseback  cut  across  fields  to  head  it  off,  and  a  stagecoach  on  the  turnpike,  loaded 

252 


THE  "PIONEER" 

The  first  locomotive  to  run  out  of  Chicago.  The  "Pioneer" 
belonged  to  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union  Railroad  and  was 
placed  on  the  road  October  24,  1848. 


UNION  DEPOT 


LA  SALLE  STREET  DEPOT 


ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  DEPOT 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  253 

with  passengers,  waited  for  an  even  start.  On  the  track,  in  front  of  the  engine, 
a  man  was  mounted  on  a  fleet  charger  to  keep  ahead  of  it,  carrying  a  flag  and 
decorated  with  many  derisive  insignia.  Such  were  some  of  the  manifestations  of 
the  doubting  Briton.  The  train  started  amid  cheers  from  the  people.  The  loco- 
motive soon  showed  its  power  under  the  guiding  hand  of  Stephenson.  He  shouted 
to  the  man  with  the  flag  to  clear  the  track,  and,  opening  the  throttle  valve,  the 
train  shot  ahead  at  the  rate  of  fifteen  miles  an  hour,  leaving  people,  horses  and 
stage-coach  far  behind,  and  reaching  Darlington  in  safety."  1 

RAILROAD     BUILDING 

The  news  of  the  successful  operation  of  railroads  in  England  was  the  inspira- 
tion of  railroad  building  in  this  country.  The  people  everywhere  saw  in  the  rail- 
road the  promise  of  better  conditions  in  transportation,  and  became  possessed 
with  the  desire  to  see  them  built  throughout  the  land.  Steam  navigation  on  the 
larger  rivers  and  lakes  was  already  established  and  steadily  increasing.  Canals 
were  enormously  popular  wherever  the  country  was  adapted  for  their  construc- 
tion. But  railroads  could  be  built  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land 
without  regard  to  water  courses  and  lakes,  and  thus  render  markets  more  readily 
accessible  for  extensive  regions. 

By  1830  a  railroad  had  been  built  between  Albany  and  Schenectady,  a  distance 
of  thirty-six  miles.  The  news  of  the  success  of  this  enterprise  spread  through- 
out the  West,  and  along  with  the  early  movements  for  a  canal  in  Illinois,  there 
sprang  up  a  demand  for  railroad  construction.  "Internal  Improvements"  became 
the  chief  issue  in  the  politics  of  the  state.  In  1834,  Governor  Duncan  recommended 
the  formation  of  the  State  Bank  with  a  capital  of  $1,500,000,  with  six  branches. 
This  was  sanctioned  by  the  legislature.  Other  banks  were  started  in  great  num- 
bers all  over  the  country;  their  issues  were  current  everywhere;  indeed  it  was  the 
only  paper  money  the  people  had.  The  government  was  also  distributing  its  sur- 
plus revenue  among  the  states,  amounting  to  many  millions,  money  was  plentiful 
and  times  were  good,  and  western  immigration  was  greatly  stimulated. 

RAPID     INCREASE     IN     POPULATION 

"The  state  census  of  1835,"  says  Stuve,  "revealed  an  astounding  increase  in 
population  during  the  last  five  years,  it  being  157,445  in  1830,  and  269,974  in 
1835.  The  increase  was  mainly  in  the  central  and  northern  parts  of  the  state. 
This  was  also  largely  due  to  the  Black  Hawk  war,  which  had  advertised  these  fer- 
tile regions  all  over  the  country,  and  as  the  Indians  were  now  finally  expelled  there- 
from, the  settlers  felt  secure,  and  the  influx  of  immigrants  was  redoubled."  The 
fever  for  public  improvements  became  steadily  more  pronounced  among  the  peo- 
ple, and  was  especially  stimulated  by  the  governor.  He  convened  the  legislature  in 
a  special  session  December  7th,  1835,  and  in  his  message  he  advocated  a  compre- 
hensive system  of  internal  improvements,  concluding  with  the  following  inspiring 
words : 

"When  we  look  abroad  and  see  the  extensive  lines  of  intercommunication  pene- 

1  Illinois  Historical  Society  Publication,  No.  7,  p.  116. 


254  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

trating  almost  every  section  of  our  sister  states — when  we  see  the  canal  boat  and 
locomotive  bearing,  with  seeming  triumph,  the  rich  productions  of  the  interior  to 
the  rivers,  lakes  and  ocean,  almost  annihilating  burthen  and  space,  what  patriotic 
bosom  does  not  beat  high  with  a  laudable  ambition  to  give  to  Illinois  her  full 
share  of  those  advantages  which  are  adorning  her  sister  states,  and  which  a  mu- 
nificent Providence  seems  to  invite  by  the  wonderful  adaptation  of  our  country  to 
such  improvements."  - 

AMBITION    OF    THE    PEOPLE 

The  legislature,  however,  did  not  rise  to  the  level  of  the  governor's  enthusiasm, 
and  failed  to  respond  to  most  of  his  recommendations;  but  the  people  were  fired 
by  his  glowing  words,  and  speedily  took  the  matter  into  their  own  hands.  At  the 
next  election  internal  improvements  was  again  the  main  issue.  Other  states  had 
led  the  way  and  the  people  were  eager  to  enter  upon  vast  enterprises,  which  the 
press  and  political  orators  pointed  out  as  practicable,  and  the  anticipated  results 
they  painted  in  glowing  colors.  The  digging  of  canals,  building  of  railroads  and 
river  improvements  were  under  full  headway  in  Pennsylvania,  Ohio  and  Indiana; 
and  the  people  had  read  the  vivid  accounts  of  these  wonderful  operations,  and 
were  fired  with  the  determination  not  to  be  left  behind  in  the  race.  "They  not  only 
craved  relief  in  their  remote  situation,"  says  Stuve,  "but  were  animated  by  a  sen- 
timent of  pride  and  emulation.  What  others  could  afford  they  might.  As  to  the 
mode  and  manner  of  accomplishing  the  desired  object  they  took  little  concern.  The 
ways  and  means  were  entrusted  to  their  representatives  to  be  chosen.  The  feasi- 
bility, safety,  and  the  details  of  the  scheme,  and  the  plans  and  methods  of  pro- 
cedure, were  for  them  to  devise."  3 

THE    LEGISLATURE    OF    1836 

At  the  election  in  August,  1836,  a  majority  of  the  members  elected  to  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  were  committed  to  a  forward  policy  in  the  matter  of  internal  im- 
provements. Meetings  were  held  in  many  counties  of  the  state  and  delegates  named 
to  meet  in  convention  at  the  state  capital  simultaneously  with  the  legislature  to 
further  the  cause  of  internal  improvements.  Although  this  convention  was  wholly 
irresponsible  it  claimed  that  its  membership  was  "fresh  from  the  people,"  and  one 
of  its  committees,  called  a  "lobby  committee,"  was  instructed  to  see  that  members 
of  the  legislature  should  not  shrink  in  their  support  of  a  bill  which  had  been  pre- 
pared for  introduction  into  that  body.  Many  of  the  members  of  the  convention 
were  also  members  of  the  legislature. 

An  editorial  in  the  Chicago  American  printed  in  its  issue  of  December  10th, 
1836,  showed  that  its  editor  fully  shared  the  sentiments  of  the  people  in  other 
parts  of  the  state.  "It  is  time,"  says  the  editor,  "that  this  state  should  take  a  high 
and  commanding  position  in  the  general  field  of  internal  improvements.  Her  re- 
sources, her  great  natural  advantages,  her  increasing  wealth  and  population,  sug- 
gest and  require  it." 

Delegates  were  sent  to  the  convention  to  represent  the  County  of  Cook.     The 

2  Illinois  State  Historical  Society  Publication,  No.  7,  p.  118. 

3  Illinois  State  Historical  Society  Publication,  No.  7,  p.  118. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  255 

American,  in  the  same  issue  as  the  one  quoted  from  above,  gives  an  account  of 
the  meeting,  and  the  names  of  the  delegates  appointed  by  the  chairman.  They  were 
T.  W.  Smith,  W.  L.  Newberry,  Giles  Spring,  Henry  Moore,  C.  V.  Dyer,  William 
B.  Egan,  R.  K.  Richards,  John  Blackstone,  J.  D.  Caton,  J.  B.  Beaubien,  Peter 
Cohen,  H.  G.  Loomis,  J.  M.  Strode,  L.  T.  James,  John  H.  Kinzie,  E.  D.  Taylor, 
J.  N.  Balestier,  E.  W.  Casey,  and  James  H.  Collins.  These  men  constituted  a 
formidable  array  of  character  and  talent  to  take  part  in  the  proceedings  of  the 
forthcoming  assemblage  called  to  promote  the  cause  of  internal  improvements. 

The  convention  met  at  Vandalia,  then  the  capital  of  the  state,  on  December  5th, 
1836,  on  the  same  day  of  the  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly,  and  continued  in 
session  two  days.  The  convention  was  wildly  enthusiastic  for  railroads  at  any  cost, 
although  the  members  knew  little  except  hearsay  of  the  amount  of  money  necessary 
to  build  them,  and  were  devoid  of  any  practical  knowledge  of  the  requirements  for 
their  construction  or  their  operation.  It  finally  embodied  its  sentiments  in  a  mem- 
orial which  was  to  accompany  the  bill  already  prepared.  This  memorial  demanded 
the  construction  of  a  system  of  railroads  and  improvements  to  river  navigation,  the 
estimate  cost  of  which  was  $7,450,000.  The  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal  was  not 
included  in  the  list  of  works  demanded,  as  that  had  been  provided  for  the  previous 
year  and  work  on  it  had  already  commenced. 

After  the  bill  and  memorial  had  been  introduced  into  the  legislature  .they  were 
referred  to  a  committee  on  internal  improvements,  which  made  a  report  with  a  list 
of  additions  amounting  to  $2,800,000  more  than  the  original  bill,  making  a  total  of 
$10,250,000.  The  committee  in  its  report  urged  that  owing  to  the  level  surface  of 
the  state  the  cost  of  railroad  building  would  not  exceed  $8,000  per  mile,  that  as  soon 
as  sections  were  completed  the  earnings  would  pay  interest  on  the  cost,  that  immi- 
gration would  increase,  which  would  mean  increased  entries  of  public  lands  and  in- 
creased revenue,  that  public  expectation  would  be  disappointed  if  some  system  of 
improvements  was  not  adopted,  and  that  it  was  a  legislator's  duty  to  calm  the  ap- 
prehensions of  the  timorous  and  meet  the  attacks  of  the  opposition  that  might  arise 
against  measures  which  would  multiply  the  wealth  and  population  of  the  state.4 


THE    PERSONNEL    OF    THE     LEGISLATURE 


"No  previous  general  assembly  of  our  state,  and  very  few  since,"  says  Snyder, 
"have  comprised  such  an  array  of  brainy,  talented  men,  or  as  many  who  subsequently 
gained  such  conspicuous  eminence  in  the  annals  of  the  state  and  nation."  Among 
them  were  Orville  H.  Browning,  who  was  a  friend  of  Lincoln's,  and  in  later  years 
a  United  States  senator  and  a  member  of  President  Johnson's  cabinet;  Cyrus  Ed- 
wards, a  younger  brother  of  Ninian  Edwards;  Edward  D.  Baker,  who  afterwards 
removed  to  Oregon,  and  was  a  United  States  Senator  from  that  state;  later  he  was 
a  general  in  the  civil  war,  and  was  killed  in  battle;  Richard  M.  Cullom,  father  of 
our  present  Senator  Shelby  M.  Cullom;  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  afterwards  United 
States  Senator,  and  candidate  for  the  Presidency  in  1860;  William  L.  D.  Ewing, 
who  was  afterwards  United  States  Senator;  Augustus  C.  French,  governor  of  the  ' 
state  from  1846  to  1852;  John  J.  Hardin,  who  was  colonel  of  the  First  Regiment 
of  Illinois  Volunteers  in  the  Mexican  war,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Buena 
Vista;  Abraham  Lincoln,  then  only  twenty-eight  years  old,  and  just  entering  upon 

4  Illinois  State  Historical  Society  Publication,  No.  7,  p.  120. 


256  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

his  wonderful  career;  Usher  F.  Linder,  afterwards  a  well-known  lawyer  of  Chi- 
cago; John  A.  McClernand,  afterwards  general  in  the  civil  war;  and  many  others 
who  in  later  years  held  exalted  positions  in  the  state  or  nation.5  The  representatives 
from  Cook  County  in  this  legislature  were  Peter  Pruyne,  in  the  Senate,  and  Joseph 
Walker,  Joseph  Naper,  and  A.  G.  Leary,  in  the  House  of  Representatives.0 

But  while  the  people  and  their  representatives  had  entered  deeply  into  these  vis- 
ionary and  doubtful  plans  of  improvement,  Governor  Duncan  had  modified  his  views 
since  the  previous  year  when  he  sent  his  message  to  the  legislature  recommending 
these  measures.  He  now  thought  it  wiser  for  the  governing  body  to  confine  itself 
to  issuing  charters  under  which  independent  corporations  might  undertake  the  con- 
struction of  railroads,  and  not  burden  the  state  with  a  heavy  bonded  indebtedness. 
"The  gravest  menace  of  the  measure,"  writes  Stuve,  "consisted  of  its  being  made  a 
state  undertaking."  The  conduct  of  public  affairs  at  that  time  was  of  such  a  char- 
acter that  the  men  in  the  offices  were  not  adapted  by  training  or  experience  to  carry- 
ing on  enterprises  of  a  practical  kind.  The  public  service  was  mainly  filled  with 
politicians,  a  class  to  whom  the  management  of  state  railroads  would  be  unfamiliar, 
and  who  in  fact  were  not  fitted  for  such  responsibilities.  Although  Governor  Dun- 
can, in  his  message,  extolled  the  grand  system  proposed,  he  now  advocated  that  the 
state  take  only  a  third  or  a  half  interest  in  the  works  instead  of  the  whole.  But 
the  legislature  gave  no  heed  to  his  advice  and  speedily  passed  the  measure  and  it 
was  sent  to  the  governor  for  his  approval.  The  governor  returned  the  bill  without 
his  approval,  but  it  was  passed  by  the  legislature  by  a  constitutional  majority  and 
became  a  law  February  27,  1837. 

The  legislature  then  elected  a  board  of  Fund  Commissioners  who  were  author- 
ized to  negotiate  the  loans  for  the  grand  system  of  internal  improvements;  and  a 
board  of  Commissioners  of  Public  Works,  composed  of  one  member  from  each  judi- 
cial district,  few  of  whom  had  ever  seen  a  railroad  or  a  canal,  to  superintend  con- 
struction of  the  works  proposed.7  "And  as  a  crowning  act  of  folly,"  we  read  in 
Ford's  history  of  Illinois,  "it  was  provided  that  the  work  should  commence  simul- 
taneously on  all  the  roads  at  each  end,  and  from  the  crossings  of  all  the  rivers."  8 
No  surveys  had  been  made  or  estimates  of  cost  secured,  no  one  knew  where  the  nec- 
essary material  for  their  construction  could  be  obtained,  or  where  the  money  was 
to  come  from  with  which  to  make  the  payments. 

In  this  condition  of  bewildering  uncertainty  the  legislature  adjourned  on  the 
6th  of  March,  1837,  at  a  time  when  the  country  was  on  the  eve  of  the  great  mone- 
tary panic  of  that  year.  Commenting  on  the  passage  of  the  law  the  editor  of  the 
American,  in  its  issue  of  April  22d,  said:  "A  ball  has  been  set  in  motion  which, 
we  hope,  is  destined  to  roll  on  till  our  vast  country  is  crossed  in  every  direction  by 
railroads  and  canals,  and  our  noble  rivers  are  freed  from  obstructions  to  commerce. 
Then  we  shall  indeed  be  a  great  people." 

PROVISIONS    OF   THE    LAW 

As  finally  passed  the  Act  authorized  the  construction  of  a  railroad  from  Galena 
to  Cairo,  usually  referred  to  as  the  First  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  estimated  to  cost 

5Snyder:   "History  of  Illinois,"  p.  214. 
6  Illinois  Blue  Book,  1907,  p.  302. 
7Snyder:  "History  of  Illinois,"  p.  222. 
"Ford:   "History  of  Illinois,"  p.  184. 


CHICAGO    RIVEK    FROM    LAKE    MICHIGAN 
Scene  in  the  '50s 


From  daguerreotype  taken  at  the  time  by.  P.  Von  Sclmeidau 

VIEW    OF    THE    DISASTER    OCCASIONED    BY    THE 

FLOOD   IN  THE  CHICAGO  RIVER  ON  THE 

1in-H    OF    MARCH.    1849 


From  The  Book  of  the  Board  of  Trade.  1910. 


FIEST     SHIPMENT    OF    GEAIN    FROM 
CHICAGO'S  FIEST  DOCK,  1830 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  257 

$3,500,000;  the  Northern  Cross  Railroad,  $1,850,000;  the  Southern  Cross  Railroad, 
$1,600,000;  five  other  railroads  to  be  built  from  one  interior  point  to  another,  $2,- 
150,000;  improvements  of  various  rivers  in  the  central  and  southern  parts  of  the 
state,  $400,000;  Great  Western  Mail  Route,  $250,000;  and  $200,000  to  be  distrib- 
uted among  those  counties  through  which  no  improvements  were  projected.  But 
this  appalling  total  of  $10,250,000  was  not  the  limit  of  expenditures  proposed. 
Other  appropriations  beside  those  required  for  the  "Grand  System"  had  been  made. 
The  state  capital  was  that  year  removed  from  Vandalia  to  Springfield,  and  $150,- 
000  for  a  new  State  House  was  provided,  and  a  subscription  of  $100,000  previously 
made  to  the  stock  of  the  State  Bank,  was  increased  to  $3,000,000.9  We  have  then 
a  grand  total  of  $13,400,000,  as  the  liability  of  the  state  under  these  several  acts 
of  the  legislature. 

LEGISLATIVE    TACTICS 

"The  means  used  in  the  legislature  to  pass  the  system,"  writes  Governor  Thomas 
Ford,  "deserve  some  notice  for  the  instruction  of  posterity.  First,  a  large  portion 
of  the  people  were  interested  in  the  success  of  the  canal,  which  was  threatened,  if 
other  sections  of  the  state  were  denied  the  improvements  demanded  by  them;  and 
thus  the  friends  of  the  canal  were  forced  to  'log-roll'  for  that  work  by  supporting 
others  which  were  to  be  ruinous  to  the  country.  Roads  and  improvements  were  pro- 
posed everywhere,  to  enlist  [the  support  of]  every  section  of  the  state.  Three  or 
i'our  efforts  were  made  to  pass  a  smaller  system,  and  when  defeated,  the  bill  would 
be  amended  by  the  addition  of  other  roads,  until  a  majority  was  obtained  for  it. 
Those  counties  which  could  not  thus  be  accommodated  were  to  share  in  the  fund  of 
two  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Three  roads  were  appointed  to  terminate  at  Alton, 
before  the  Alton  interest  would  agree  to  the  system.  The  seat  of  government  was 
to  be  removed  to  Springfield.  Sangamon  county,  in  which  Springfield  was  situated, 
was  then  represented  by  two  senators  and  seven  representatives,  called  the  'Long 
Nine,'  all  whigs  but  one.  Amongst  them  were  some  dexterous  jugglers  and  managers 
in  politics,  whose  whole  object  was  to  obtain  the  seat  of  government  for  Springfield. 
This  delegation  from  the  beginning  of  the  session,  threw  itself  as  a  unit  in  support 
of,  or  opposition  to,  every  local  measure  of  interest,  but  never  without  a  bargain  for 
votes  in  return  on  the  seat  of  government  question. 

"Most  of  the  other  counties  were  small,  having  but  one  representative,  and  many 
of  them  with  but  one  for  a  whole  district ;  and  this  gave  Sangamon  County  a.  decided 
preponderance  in  the  'log-rolling'  system  of  those  days.  It  is  worthy  of  examination 
whether  any  just  and  equal  legislation  can  ever  be  obtained  where  some  of  the  coun- 
ties are  great  and  powerful  and  others  feeble.  But  by  such  means  'the  Long  Nine' 
rolled  along  like  a  snow-ball,  gathering  accessions  of  strength  at  every  turn,  until 
they  swelled  up  a  considerable  party  for  Springfield,  which  party  they  managed  to 
take  almost  as  a  unit  in  favor  of  the  internal  improvement  system,  in  return  for 
which  the  active  supporters  of  that  system  were  to  vote  for  Springfield  to  be  the 
seat  of  government.  Thus  it  was  made  to  cost  the  state  about  six  millions  of  dollars 
to  remove  the  seat  of  government  from  Vandalia  to  Springfield,  half  of  which  sum 
would  have  purchased  all  the  real  estate  in  that  town  at  three  prices ;  and  thus,  by 
'log-rolling'  on  the  canal  measure,  by  multiplying  railroads,  by  terminating  three 

9  Illinois  State  Historical  Society  Publication,  No.  7,  p.  121. 
Vol.  I— IT 


258  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

railroads  at  Alton,  that  Alton  might  become  a  great  city  in  opposition  to  St.  Louis, 
by  distributing  money  to  some  of  the  counties,  to  be  wasted  by  the  county  commis- 
sioners, and  by  giving  the  seat  of  government  to  Springfield,  was  the  whole  state 
bought  up  and  bribed,  to  approve  the  most  senseless  and  disastrous  policy  which 
ever  crippled  the  energies  of  a  -growing  country."  10 

THE  "LONG  NINE" 

The  two  senators  and  seven  representatives  from  Sangamon  County  in  the  legisla- 
ture, which  enacted  the  Internal  Improvement  laws,  known  as  the  "Long  Nine,"  were 
so  called  because  they  averaged  six  feet  in  height,  some  more  and  some  less,  there 
being  precisely  fifty- four  feet  in  the  sum  total  of  their  statures.11  Abraham  Lincoln 
was  one  of  the  representatives.  Other  members  of  the  delegation  were  Archer  G. 
Herndon,  Job  Fletcher,  Ninian  W.  Edwards,  William  F.  Elkins,  Daniel  Stone,  John 
Dawson,  Andrew  McCormick,  and  Robert  L.  Wilson.  "They  were  astute  and  in- 
fluential men,"  says  Snyder,  "united  in  their  efforts  to  secure  the  removal  of  the 
capital  to  Springfield,  the  object  for  which  they  were  elected.  They  succeeded  in 
having  their  bill  passed,  on  the  25th  of  February,  1837,  'log-rolling'  with  the  friends 
of  every  other  measure  presented ;  or  threatening  to  withhold  their  support  from  the 
same,  the  canal  and  other  internal  improvements  especially ;  and  by  the  practice  of 
all  arts  of  persuasion  and  coercion  known  to  influence  recalcitrant  or  indifferent 
members."  12 

There  was  an  excellent  reason,  however,  for  the  removal  of  the  capital,  and 
whatever  the  methods  of  accomplishing  it  were,  the  success  of  the  project  was  much 
to  the  advantage  of  the  state  as  a  whole.  "The  marvelous  growth  of  Chicago,"  says 
Snyder,  "and  rapid  settling  of  the  northern  counties  after  the  Black  Hawk  war,  be- 
gan to  demand  a  permanent  central  location  of  the  seat  of  government  at,  or  near, 
the  geographical  center  of  the  state."  Then,  again,  the  State  House  in  Vandalia 
was  in  such  a  dilapidated  condition  as  to  be  scarcely  tenable,  and  a  bill  providing 
for  the  erection  of  a  new  one  in  place  of  it  could  not  be  passed.  This  opened  the 
way  for  the  introduction  of  the  bill  to  remove  the  capital  with  an  appropriation  of 
$50,000,  for  a  State  House,  "conditioned  on  the  donation  of  an  equal  sum  by  the 
citizens  of  the  town  in  which  it  was  decided  the  capital  would  be  fixed."  J  3 

THE    IMMENSE   DEBT    INCURRED 

To  fully  comprehend  the  stupendous  liability  which  the  state  had  been  placed 
under,  a  comparison  of  resources  and  population  will  be  necessary.  The  popula- 
tion of  Illinois  in  1837  may  be  estimated  at  300,000.  The  census  returns  for  1900 
give  the  population  of  the  state  as  4,821,550 ;  that  is  about  sixteen  times  greater  than 
in  the  former  period.  The  assessed  wealth  of  the  state  in  1837  was  about  $50,000,- 
000,  a"nd  it  is  now,  according  to  the  "Blue  Book"  of  Illinois  for  1909,  $1,263,500,- 
000,  that  is,  about  twenty-five  times  greater.14  And  if  we  should  take  the  true  val- 

10  Ford:    "History  of  Illinois,"  p.  187. 

11  Davidson  &  Stuve:    "History  of  Illinois,"  p.  917. 
11  Snyder:    "History  of  Illinois,"  p.  221. 
"Snyder:  "History  of  Illinois,"  p.  220. 

14  Illinois  Blue  Book  for  1909,  p.  328. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  259 

uation  of  the  wealth  of  the  state  at  the  last  date  mentioned,  instead  of  the  valuation 
as  above  given,  which  was  reduced  to  about  one-fifth  by  "equalization,"  it  would 
be  more  than  a  hundred  times  greater  than  it  was  in  1 837.  If  this  state  were  now 
burdened  with  a  debt  in  the  same  proportion  as  the  liabilities  incurred  in  1 837  were 
to  its  population  then,  it  would  amount  to  some  215  millions  of  dollars;  or,  if  in  pro- 
portion to  its  taxable  wealth,  as  between  that  period  and  the  present,  it  would  be 
over  1,300  millions.  We  may  thus  form  some  idea  of  the  burden  the  people  had 
assumed  in  embarking  upon  the  grand  projects  known  as  Internal  Improvements. 

"And  when  we  consider,"  writes  Stuve,  "that  money  in  1837  was  much  dearer, 
or  had  a  greater  purchasing  capacity,  than  now;  that  it  required  double  the  labor 
to  earn  a  dollar  it  does  now ;  that  the  products  of  the  field  and  farm  brought  scarce 
half  they  average  now;"  15  we  may  form  some  idea  of  the  burden  that  the  people 
staggered  under  at  that  time. 

Still  the  people  remained  sanguine,  and  steadily  looked  forward  to  great  results, 
their  hopes  sustained  by  the  assurances  of  stump  orators  and  press  writers.  The 
arguments  in  favor  of  the  system  which  had  been  inaugurated  "were  of  a  character 
most  difficult  to  refute,"  says  Governor  Ford,  "composed  as  they  were  partly  of 
fact,  but  mostly  of  prediction.  In  this  way,"  continues  the  Governor,  in  his  caustic 
review  of  these  events,  "I  have  heard  it  proved  to  general  satisfaction  by  an  ingen- 
ious orator  that  the  state  could  well  afford  to  borrow  a  hundred  million  of  dollars, 
and  expend  it  in  making  internal  improvements.  The  orators  in  favor  of  the  system 
all  aimed  to  argue  their  way  logically,  and  the  end  has  showed  that  the  counsels  of 
a  sound  judgment,  guided  by  common  sense  jumping  at  conclusions,  are  to  be  pre- 
ferred to  ingenious  speculation.  Nothing  is  more  delusive  in  public  affairs  than 
a  series  of  ingenious  reasonings."  18 

Compare  this  criticism  of  Governor  Ford's,  written  previously  to  1850,  with  a 
recent  review  of  a  book  in  an  English  weekly,  and  we  can  see  how  the  conclusions 
of  thinking  men,  separated  by  more  than  half  a  century  in  their  writings,  and  in  a 
totally  different  environment,  agree  in  their  expressions  regarding  "logical"  conclu- 
sions in  the  conduct  of  public  affairs.  The  English  reviewer,  in  commenting  upon 
a  book  recently  published,  entitled  "Britain  at  Bay,"  by  the  well  known  military 
writer,  Spenser  Wilkinson,  says:  "His  logical  mind  can  barely  tolerate  a  system 
that  persistently  divides  the  kingdom  into  two  camps,  when  both  camps  in  reality 
belong  to  the  same  national  army.  .  .  .  Of  course  this  is  displeasing  to  logic; 
but  politics  are  not  logic,  and  the  only  way  to  come  to  a  fair  decision  in  a  world  nec- 
essarily conducted  by  a  series  of  second-best  courses  is  to  ask  ourselves  what  the  al- 
ternative to  existing  systems  would  be.  This  question  always  resolves  one's  doubts."  1T 

And  we  have  seen,  even  in  recent  years,  the  same  "logical"  reasoning,  as  opposed 
to  plain  common  sense,  employed  by  the  advocates  of  financial  and  political  heresies, 
persuading  large  numbers  of  citizens  to  support  causes  whose  tendency  is  toward 
"the  way  that  madness  lies."  When  public  discussions  of  affairs  and  measures  begin 
to  take  the  form  of  arguments  built  up  with  premises,  and  postulates,  and  "logical 
conclusions,"  the  truth  is  quickly  lost  sight  of  and  error  triumphs.  "The  gods  pun- 
ish the  wicked  and  fools,  the  fools  first." 

15  Illinois  State  Historical  Society  Publication,  No.  7,  p.  tax. 

18  Ford:   "History  of  Illinois,"  p.  185. 

17  "Spectator,"  issue  of  January  29,  1910. 


260  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

THE    PANIC   OF   1837 

In  the  spring  of  1837  a  financial  and  business  panic  broke  out  and  spread  over 
the  country.  Many  banks  suspended  and  there  was  widespread  business  disaster, 
causing  great  distress  to  thousands  of  people  engaged  in  every  branch  of  trade  and 
industry.  But  strange  as  it  may  seem,  notwithstanding  the  disturbed  financial  con- 
dition of  the  country,  the  Fund  Commissioners  were  able  to  dispose  of  nearly  five 
million  dollars  worth  of  the  state  securities  authorized  for  the  purpose  of  building 
railroads  under  the  Internal  Improvement  act.  Such  was  the  credit  of  the  state  that 
the  bonds  were  sold  at  a  premium  in  New  York  and  other  financial  centers.  With 
the  funds  thus  provided  work  was  begun  at  many  different  points  in  the  state  before 
the  end  of  the  year.  Money  paid  out  on  account  of  work  and  materials,  and  the  con- 
sequent stimulation  to  trade  and  manufactures,  made  the  times  good  in  spite  of  the 
troubles  elsewhere.  "Credit  became  easy,  and  with  advancing  prices  a  spirit  of  wild 
and  reckless  speculation  seized  the  people,"  says  Stuve,  whose  account  of  this  episode 
in  our  history  is  printed  in  the  volume  of  the  Illinois  State  Historical  Library  Pub- 
lication for  1902.  "Lands  were  entered,  often  with  borrowed  money,  towns  laid  out, 
lots  sold  and  houses  built  largely  on  promises.  Merchants,  confident  that  the  era 
of  good  times  and  prosperity  had  come  to  stay,  bought  excessively  of  goods  on  time 
and  sold  them  without  stint  to  the  people  on  time.  Extravagance  was  engendered, 
false  hopes  stimulated  and  debts  contracted  needlessly."  18 

THE     CHICAGO     HARBOR 

A  plan  for  "improving  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river"  was  submitted  to  the 
Canal  Commissioners  in  1830  by  William  Howard,  the  chief  engineer  of  the  Illi- 
nois and  Michigan  Canal,  the  route  of  which  was  then  in  the  course  of  being  sur- 
veyed. It  will  be  remembered  that  the  natural  outlet  of  the  river  was  far  south 
of  its  present  mouth,  a  peninsula  of  sand  extending  from  the  north  bank  of  the 
present  river's  mouth  a  half  mile  to  the  south,  where  the  river  water  then  found 
an  opening  into  the  lake.  Engineer  Howard's  plan  was  to  close  the  original  out- 
let and  cut  a  channel  through  the  sandy  peninsula,  so  that  the  river  would  be 
forced  to  flow  directly  east  into  the  open  lake;  and  trust  to  the  current  of  the 
river,  with  some  help  from  dredging,  to  keep  the  channel  open  and  deep  enough 
for  navigation.  In  outlining  the  course  that  the  river  should  take  across  the  ob- 
structing sand  he  proposed  to  carry  two  lines  of  piling  or  piers  parallel  with  each 
other  two  hundred  feet  apart. 

This  plan  was  brought  to  the  attention  of  Congress,  but  nothing  was  done  until 
three  years  later,  lake  vessels  meantime  being  obliged  to  anchor  some  distance 
off  shore  and  handle  their  cargoes  by  means  of  lighters.  In  1833,  an  appropria- 
tion of  $25,000  was  made  by  Congress,  and  work  began.  Between  four  hundred 
and  five  hundred  feet  of  the  south  pier  was  completed  that  season;  and  in  the  next 
two  years,  an  additional  appropriation  having  been  secured,  the  north  pier  was 
extended  beyond  the  south  pier  and  reached  a  total  length  of  one  thousand,  two 
hundred  and  sixty  feet  where  a  depth  of  twelve  feet  of  water  was  found. 

The  work  had  now  progressed  far  enough  to  enter  upon  the  dredging  neces- 

18  Illinois  State  Historical  Library  Publication,  No.  7,  p.  123. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  261 

sary  to  clear  out  the  sand  and  gravel  from  the  newly  created  channel,  and  this 
was  partly  accomplished  when  it  was  discovered  that  a  bar  had  begun  to  form  off 
the  end  of  the  north  pier,  and  thus  threaten  the  entrance.  Having  now  nearly  ex- 
hausted the  allowances  made  by  the  government,  the  engineer  in  charge  was  obliged 
to  devote  the  remaining  funds  towards  keeping  the  water  at  a  sufficient  depth  to 
admit  vessels  to  the  river.  The  current  in  the  river  had  up  to  this  time  made  no 
great  impression  upon  the  sand  in  the  channel. 

With  further  appropriations  the  piers  were  extended  in  the  hope  of  reaching  a 
point  in  the  open  waters  of  the  lake  beyond  the  influence  of  the  currents  which  de- 
posited the  sand  at  the  end  of  the  north  pier.  At  the  same  time  the  direction  of 
the  north  pier  was  changed  twenty-five  degrees  more  to  the  north;  but,  after  hav- 
ing carried  it  out  four  hundred  and  five  feet  in  the  new  direction,  it  was  found 
that  matters  had  not  been  improved.  The  bar  continued  to  form,  and  vessels  en- 
tering the  river  were  obliged  to  make  a  long  detour  to  the  southward  to  pass  around 
the  constantly  encroaching  bar.  These  discouraging  conditions  continued  for  some 
years,  as  Congress  did  not  seem  disposed  to  add  further  appropriations. 

The  claims  of  the  Chicago  harbor,  however,  continued  to  be  pressed  upon  Con- 
gress, until  in  1843  the  sum  of  $25,000  was  obtained  for  work  on  the  harbor. 
With  this  sum  a  series  of  repairs  and  some  new  work  was  effected,  the  engineer  in 
charge  being  Captain  George  B.  McClellan,  afterwards  a  major-general  and  com- 
mander-in-chief  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Further  appropriations  were  made, 
but  it  began  to  be  realized  that  the  enterprise  was  too  vast  to  be  carried  out  in  an 
effective  manner  with  the  small  allowances  heretofore  received  from  the  govern- 
ment. And  as  if  to  still  further  embarrass  the  prospects  of  ever  completing  the 
work,  appropriations  ceased  altogether,  and  it  was  not  until  1852  that  the  needs 
of  the  Chicago  harbor  were  again  recognized  by  Congress. 

In  the  following  year  work  on  the  harbor  dragged  slowly  on,  and  by  1854  it 
had  at  length  become  possible  for  a  vessel  drawing  over  nine  feet  of  water  to  pass 
directly  into  the  new  channel  from  .the  open  lake. 

While  he  was  President,  from  1845  to  1849,  James  K.  Polk  kept  a  diary  of 
such  events  as  he  deemed  worthy  of  recording.  This  diary  has  been  recently 
printed  in  four  volumes  by  the  Chicago  Historical  Society  in  whose  possession  are 
the  original  manuscripts.  Under  date  of  November  4th,  1847,  the  president  notes 
in  his  diary,  as  follows:  "After  night  Senator  Douglas  of  Illinois  called.  I  had 
a  long  conversation  with  him  upon  public  affairs.  He  agreed  with  me  in  my  full 
policy,  except  in  relation  to  the  River  and  H'arbor  improvements.  He  said,  how- 
ever, that  he  felt  no  great  interest  on  the  subject,  and  should  oppose  my  views  on 
that  subject  only  by  a  silent  vote."  It  will  be  remembered  that  President  Polk 
did  not  actually  veto  the  River  and  Harbor  bill,  which  Congress  soon  after  passed. 
He  simply  held  it  in  his  possession  unsigned  until  the  expiration  of  the  session, 
and  thus  it  failed  to  become  a  law. 

LIGHTHOUSE    AT    CHICAGO 

The  first  lighthouse,  provided  by  a  government  appropriation  of  $5,000,  was  built 
in  1831.  It  was  located  just  west  of  the  fort  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river  about 
where  Graham  &  Morton's  steamship  line  now  has  its  dock.  It  was  built  of  stone 


262  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

with  walls  three  feet  in  thickness  and  reached  a  height  of  fifty  feet.  There  soon 
developed  a  weakness  in  the  foundations,  and  before  it  was  fairly  completed  it 
collapsed  entirely.  The  contractor  said  that  its  fall  was  owing  to  quicksand  un- 
derneath its  foundations.  The  same  contractor,  however,  erected  another  one  in 
the  following  year  which  continued  in  service  for  twenty  years,  when  the  govern- 
ment erected  a  new  lighthouse  on  the  North  Pier. 

PREDECESSOR    OF    THE     CHICAGO    &     NORTH-WESTERN     RAILWAY 

The  account  of  this  organization  is  based  on  the  work  entitled  "Yesterday  and 
To-day,"  which  is  a  history  of  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway  System,  is- 
sued in  1905.  The  preparation  of  this  work,  the  writer  informs  us  in  the  preface 
to  his  work,  involved  extensive  research  among  the  laws  and  session  journals  of 
the  legislatures  of  many .  of  the  northwestern  states,  covering  a  period  from  the 
year  1836  to  the  date  of  the  publication  of  his  work. 

"In  the  nearly  sixty-nine  years,"  he  says,  "that  have  intervened  since  the  first 
charter  was  granted  by  the  legislature  of  Illinois,  more  than  one  generation  of  men 
have  lived  and  passed  away,  and  with  them  have  gone  most  of  the  records  of  their 
words  and  deeds.  Documents,  that  were  to  them  trivial  and  valueless,  but  that 
would  have  been  above  price  to  the  compiler  of  this  history,  were  destroyed,  lost 
or  so  scattered  that  much  time  and  minute  search  has  been  used  in  digging  out  a 
very  small  part  of  them  from  their  almost  absolute  oblivion.  Other  documents 
passed  out  of  existence  when  the  roads  they  referred  to  had  died,  become  bankrupt, 
were  sold,  consolidated,  or  otherwise  vanished.  Then  came  the  great  Chicago  fire 
and  wiped  out  a  vast  majority  of  the  preserved,  and  till  then  supposed  to  be 
safe,  public  and  private  records  and  documents." 

That  part  of  the  present  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway  running  directly 
west  from  Chicago,  and  commonly  called  the  Galena  Division,  is  to  the  present  gi- 
gantic steam  transportation  lines  radiating  from  Chicago  in  all  directions,  what 
the  Mayflower  was  to  the  colonization  and  settlement  of  New  England. 

THE    GALENA    Si    CHICAGO    UNION    RAILROAD 

On  January  10th,  1836,  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union  Railroad  was  incorpo- 
rated by  special  charter  by  the  legislature  of  Illinois.  It  is  worthy  of  notice 
that  the  initial  name  of  the  corporation  was  taken  from  the  larger  and  at  that 
time  more  important  city  of  Galena.  The  charter  provided  for  a  railroad  from 
Galena  and  Jo  Daviess  County  to  the  town  of  Chicago,  and  fixed  the  capital  stock 
at  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  It  also  provided  that  "if  at  any  time,  after  the 
passage  of  this  act,  it  shall  be  deemed  advisable  by  the  directors  of  the  said  cor- 
poration to  make  and  construct  a  good  and  permanent  turnpike  road  upon  any  por- 
tion of  the  route  of  the  railroad,  then  said  directors  are  hereby  authorized  and  em- 
powered to  construct  a  turnpike,  and  erect  as  many  toll  gates  as  should  be  deemed 
necessary  thereon."  The  financial  panic  of  1837  prevented  anything  being  ac- 
complished. 

The  charter  was  kept  alive,  Judge  Theophilus  W.  Smith  being  president  from 
July  3rd,  1836,  to  November  29th,  1837,  and  Elijah  K.  Hubbard  from  November, 


By  courtesy  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 


THE  FIRST  DEPOT  OF  THE  GALENA  &  CHICAGO  UNION"   RAILROAD  COMPANY 
(NOW  CHICAGO  &  NORTHWESTERN  RAILWAY) 

This  depot  stood  at  the  southwest  corner  of  North  Canal  and  West  Kinzie  streets. 
It  was  built  in  1848  and  was  Chicago's  first  railroad  depot.  In  1881  the  depot  was 
removed. 


By  courtesy  of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway 


PASSENGER   TERMINAL   OF   THE   CHICAGO   &    NORTHWESTERN   RAILWAY, 

COMPLETED    IN    1911 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  263 

1837,  to  February  17th,  1846,  when  William  B.  Ogden  was  made  president.  Ogden 
put  new  life  into  the  project,  and  stock  books  for  subscriptions  to  the  capital  stock 
of  the  company  were  opened  on  August  10th,  1847,  at  Chicago,  and  at  various 
points  along  the  line  of  the  projected  road. 

STRAP    RAILS    USED 

The  real  survey  for  the  railroad  was  begun  in  September,  1847,  and  con- 
struction work  began.  The  road  was  completed  by  December  15th,  1848,  to  a 
point  near  the  Des  Plaines  River,  ten  miles  west  of  Chicago.  This  portion  of  the 
road  and  the  line  to  Elgin  was  laid  with  what  was  known  as  a  strap  rail.  This 
rail  was  an  iron  plate,  two  and  a  half  inches  wide  by  three-fourths  or  seven- 
eighths  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  laid  on  an  oak  ribbon,  which  in  turn,  was  laid  flat- 
wise on  longitudinal  timbers  six  inches  square,  firmly  secured  to  cross  ties  by 
spikes.  A  better  form  of  rail  was  already  coming  into  use  called  the  "edge-rail," 
one  of  the  earlier  forms  in  the  development  of  the  T-rail;  but  the  new  company 
was  not  able  to  stand  the  greater  cost  of  these.  On  that  point  the  president,  in  his 
report  regarding  the  plans  of  construction,  said  that  owing  to  the  condition  of  the 
money  market  the  company  was  prevented  "from  getting  iron  and  engines  east 
or  to  purchase  edge-rail  for  their  road,  and  that  hence  it  has  been  decided  that 
strap  rail  (flat  or  plate  rail)  would  have  to  be  used." 

THE  "PIONEER" 

The  first  locomotive  to  run  out  of  Chicago  was  called  the  "Pioneer,"  and  was 
placed  on  the  road  October  24th,  1848.  It  was  built  by  the  Baldwin  Locomotive 
Works  of  Philadelphia,  and  weighed  ten  tons.  The  next  year  saw  the  motive  power 
of  the  road  increased  by  the  addition  of  the  engine  "Chicago"  (July,  1849),  and 
by  the  "Elgin"  in  November  of  the  same  year,  each  weighing  twenty-four  tons. 
This  practice  of  naming  the  engines  was  continued  until  1872  or  1873,  when  the 
custom  was  abandoned  and  numbers  only  were  used.  January  22d,  1850,  the  road 
was  completed  and  opened  to  Elgin,  Illinois,  forty-two  and  a  half  miles  from 
Chicago. 

DEPOT  ON   THE  WEST  SIDE 

The  first  railroad  depot  in  Chicago  was  built  by  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union 
Railroad,  in  the  fall  of  1848.  It  was  a  one-story  frame  building  located  on  the 
now  vacant  triangular  piece  of  ground  south  of  Kinzie  street,  and  west  of  Canal 
street,  which  is  at  present  passed  daily  by  hundreds  of  trains.  Of  the  thousands 
of  passengers  on  these  trains  how  few  stop  to  realize  what  wonderful  changes  have 
taken  place  in  the  sixty-two  years  which  have  elapsed  since  the  erection  of  Chi- 
cago's first  railroad  station.  In  1849,  this  building  was  enlarged  and  a  portion  of 
it  was  set  aside  for  freight  purposes,  while  the  original  east  end  of  the  building  was 
still  used  for  passengers.  A  second  story  was  added  to  the  structure  and  that  was 
surmounted  with  a  sort  of  observatory.  West  of  the  depot  was  practically  an 
open  prairie,  and  from  the  observatory  Mr.  John  B.  Turner,  the  president  of  the 
road,  who  succeeded  William  B.  Ogden  in  1851,  often  watched  for  the  coming  of 
the  trains  with  the  aid  of  a  long  old-fashioned  marine  telescope,  and  thus  could 


264  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

announce  the  approach  of  a  train  while  it  was  as  far  away  as  Austin,  six  miles 
distant.  This  old  building  was  standing  in  1881,  and  the  Galena  Division  suburban 
trains  stopped  there  to  load  and  unload  passengers.  The  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  had  a  branch  reading  room  upstairs,  prior  to  its  removal,  which  oc- 
curred in  1881. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  an  early  time-table  of  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union 
Railroad,  which  appeared  in  the  Chicago  Daily  Democrat  of  January  1st,  1851: 

WINTER    ARRANGEMENT 

Office   Galena   &   Chicago   Union    Railroad    Company. 

Chicago,  October   21st,   1850. 

On  and  after  Tuesday,  October  22d,  1850,  Passenger  Trains  will  run  as 
follows : 

Leave  Chicago  for  Elgin,  St.  Charles  and  Aurora  at  8:00  A.  M.  and  3:00  P.  M. 
Leave  Elgin,  St.  Charles  and  Aurora  for  Chicago  at  3 :00  P.  M.  daily.     (Sun- 
days excepted.) 

Stages  will  connect  daily  at  Aurora  for  Peru,  Peoria,  Springfield,  and  St. 
Louis. 

JOHN  B.  TURNER, 

Acting  Director. 

During  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  4th,  1851,  Block  Number  One  of  the  "orig- 
inal town"  of  Chicago  was  bought  for  depot  purposes  for  $60,513,  and  a  drawbridge 
over  the  North  Branch  of  the  Chicago  river  was  arranged  for.  The  boundaries  of 
this  block,  using  the  street  names  as  at  present  known,  were,  Kinzie  street,  Dearborn 
avenue,  North  Water  and  North  State  streets. 

By  December,  1851,  the  road  was  opened  to  Belvidere,  Illinois,  seventy-eight 
miles  from  Chicago;  to  Rockford  in  August,  1852;  to  Freeport,  1853;  and  to  Beloit, 
Wisconsin,  in  the  same  year.  The  line  from  Turner,  or  what  is  now  West  Chicago, 
to  Dixon,  Illinois,  was  opened  in  December,  1854;  to  Sterling,  in  July,  1855;  to 
Morrison,  in  September ;  and  to  Fulton  in  December  of  the  same  year. 

IMPROVEMENTS  AND  EXTENSIONS 

In  May,  1852,  Mr.  Turner,  then  president,  proposed  to  the  stockholders  that  he 
should  be  permitted  to  substitute  T-rails  for  the  strap-rails  that  were  in  use  between 
Chicago  and  Elgin.  The  needed  authority  was  granted,  and  in  due  course  of  time 
the  strap-rails  disappeared  from  the  road.  In  1855  a  telegraph  line  was  built  along 
the  right  of  way  between  Chicago  and  Freeport,  and  the  trains  operated  by  it.  In 
1862  the  Chicago,  Iowa  &  Nebraska  Railroad,  and  the  Cedar  Rapids  &  Missouri 
River  Railroad,  were  leased  by  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union,  and  their  operation 
began  on  August  1st  of  that  year.  The  construction  of  a  bridge  over  the  east  chan- 
nel of  the  Mississippi  river  to  an  island  between  the  present  cities  of  Fulton,  Illi- 
nois, and  Clinton,  Iowa,  was  completed  in  1860,  and  in  1865  the  west  end  of  the 
bridge  was  completed  to  the  Iowa  side ;  in  the  interval  cars  were  ferried  over  on 
boats. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  265 

DEPOT    ON    THE    NORTH    SIDE 

The  second  passenger  depot  in  Chicago  was  erected  in  1852  and  1853.  It  was 
built  of  brick  and  was  two  stories  in  height.  It  was  situated  on  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  Kinzie  and  Wells  streets,  with  the  passenger  entrance  on  Wells  street.  This 
depot  was  destroyed  in  the  great  fire  of  1871.  The  burnt  building  was  replaced  by 
a  wooden  building  facing  south  with  an  entrance  from  Wells  street. 

In  1854  the  Illinois  &  Wisconsin  Railroad,  which  is  now  the  Wisconsin  Division 
of  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway,  was  constructed  as  far  as  what  is  known 
as  Deer  Grove,  which  is  twenty-eight  miles  northwest  of  Chicago  in  Cook  County, 
and  the  operation  of  trains  was  begun  October  1st,  1854.  The  service  consisted  of 
one  passenger  train  in  each  direction  daily,  the  depot  being  located  on  West  Kinzie 
street,  and  north  of  the  old  Galena  &  Chicago  Union  Depot  on  the  West  Side.  The 
next  year,  1855,  the  name  of  this  road  was  changed  to  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul  and 
Fond  du  Lac  Railroad. 

EXTENSIONS    TO    MISSOURI    RIVER    AND   MINNESOTA 

The  Iowa  Division  of  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway  running  directly 
west  from  Clinton  was  constructed  by  the  Chicago,  Iowa-  &  Nebraska  Railroad. 
Track  laying  started  at  Clinton,  Iowa,  in  1856,  and  was  completed  to  Cedar  Rapids 
in  1859.  The  Cedar  Rapids  &  Missouri  River  Railroad  was  organized  for  the  pur- 
pose of  securing  a  land  grant,  and  construction  was  begun  in  1861,  when  the  forty- 
one  miles  from  Cedar  Rapids  to  Chelsea,  Iowa,  was  completed,  and  an  extension  was 
completed  as  far  west  as  Nevada,  Iowa,  in  1864.  In  July  of  that  year  Congress 
made  an  additional  grant  of  land  to  the  Cedar  Rapids  &  Missouri  River  Railroad, 
and  authorized  it  to  construct  a  line  to  Council  Bluffs  which  was  completed  in  1 867, 
when  one  passenger  train  each  way  daily  covered  the  distance  of  four  hundred  and 
eighty-nine  miles  between  Chicago  and  Council  Bluffs  in  twenty-eight  hours,  and 
supplied  ample  accommodation  for  the  travel  of  that  time.  This  was  the  first 
railroad  connection  with  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad. 

In  1854,  that  part  of  the  present  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway,  extending 
from  Minnesota  Junction,  Wisconsin,  to  Fond  du  Lac,  was  built  by  the  Rock  River 
Valley  Union  Railroad.  The  next  year,  1855,  the  Illinois  &  Wisconsin  Railroad  and 
the  Rock  River  Valley  Union  Railroad  were  consolidated  under  the  corporate  name 
of  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul  &  Fond  du  Lac  Railroad,  but  the  gap  between  Gary,  Illi- 
nois, and  Minnesota  Junction  was  not  completed  until  1859.  The  financial  panic 
of  1857  stopped  further  extension  and  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul  &  Fond  du  Lac  Rail- 
road became  bankrupt. 

THE    CHICAGO    &    NORTH-WESTERN    RAILWAY 

During  1859. the  legislatures  of  Illinois  and  Wisconsin  authorized  the  reorgani- 
zation of  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul  &  Fond  du  Lac  Railroad,  and  a  new  company  was 
formed  called  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway  Company,  which  secured  all 
the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul  &  Fond  du  Lac.  This,  then,  was 
the  first  corporate  existence  of  the  road  which  is  the  subject  of  this  account.  By 
1862  the  line  was  completed  to  Green  Bay,  Wisconsin,  two  hundred  and  forty-two 
miles  from  Chicago,  via  Janesville.  The  road  at  this  time  owned  thirty-three  en- 


266  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

gines  and  six  hundred  and  seventy-four  cars.  In  1861  the  line  running  west  from 
Kenosha,  Wisconsin,  to  Rockford,  Illinois,  was  purchased  by  the  Chicago  &  North- 
Western  Railway  Company. 

HISTORY    OF    THE     LINE     TO    MILWAUKEE 

That  portion  of  the  present  Milwaukee  Division  of  the  Chicago  &  North-West- 
ern  Railway,  in  Illinois,  was  built  by  the  Chicago  &  Milwaukee  Railroad,  and 
trains  commenced  running  as  far  as  Waukegan,  December  19th,  1854.  A  time 
table  published  in  the  Chicago  Daily  Journal  of  Saturday,  February  10th,  1855, 
shows  one  passenger  train  in  each  direction  between  Chicago  and  Waukegan,  and 
time  consumed  two  hours. 

The  road  south  from  Milwaukee  to  the  State  Line  was  a  part  of  the  Green 
Bay,  Milwaukee  &  Chicago  Railroad,  chartered  by  the  Wisconsin  legislature  March 
13th,  1851.  The  name  of  this  road  was  changed,  *on  March  6th,  1857,  to  the  Mil- 
waukee &  Chicago  Railroad,  and,  on  June  5th,  1863,  it  was  consolidated  with  the 
Chicago  &  Milwaukee  Railroad.  The  Chicago  &  Milwaukee  Railroad  in  turn  was 
leased  to  the  Chicago  &  North- Western  Railway  May  2d,  1866.  It  was  finally 
consolidated  with  the  latter  road  on  June  7th,  1883. 

We  have  seen  that  the  newly  built  Chicago  &  Milwaukee  Railroad  ran  its  first 
train,  after  its  completion,  from  Chicago  to  Waukegan,  December  19th,  1854. 
Soon  afterwards  through  trains  to  Milwaukee  commenced  running,  as  will  ap- 
pear from  a  notice  published  in  the  Daily  Democratic  Press  of  Chicago,  under 
date  of  June  9th,  1855,  as  follows: 

"Chicago   &    Milwaukee    Railroad    Opened    to    Milwaukee. 

"Two  trains  daily  each  way  leaving  Chicago  Station  on  West  Side  at  9  A.  M. 
and  4  P.  M." 

SUBURBAN    SERVICE 

A  local  train  service,  for  the  convenience  of  residents  on  the  North  Shore,  was 
inaugurated  on  this  line  on  November  13th,  1856,  when  the  first  train  made  its 
initial  trip  from  Chicago  to  Waukegan.  The  trains  in  this  service  did  not  run 
through  to  Milwaukee,  but  ended  the  run  at  Waukegan. 

The  present  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway  system  is  in  general  the  re- 
sult of  a  great  number  of  mergers  and  consolidations.  The  oldest  corporation 
among  its  various  components  was  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union  Railroad.  This 
name  disappeared  at  the  time  of  the  "Great  Consolidation"  in  1864,  and  was  re- 
placed by  that  of  the  Chicago  &  North-Western,  though  the  name  of  the  latter  had 
been  in  use  only  from  June  6th,  1859,  as  previously  stated.  The  details  of  the  con- 
solidation referred  to  are  given  on  a  succeeding  page.  During  that  year  the  legis- 
latures of  Illinois  and  Wisconsin  had  authorized  the  organization  of  a  company 
under  this  name,  and  its  first  official  act  was  the  purchase  of  the  bankrupt  Chicago, 
St.  Paul  &  Fond  du  Lac  Railroad  Company  for  $10,849,938.  William  B.  Ogden 
was  the  leading  spirit  in  the  affairs  of  the  North-Western  at  this  period,  as  he 
had  been  in  those  of  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union,  and  became  the  first  president 
of  the  newly  formed  company. 

The  Galena  &  Chicago  Union  in  the  course  of  its  career  had  absorbed  a  num- 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  267 

her  of  lines  as  we  have  seen,  as  had  also  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul  &  Fond  du  Lac. 
The  latter  company  with  all  its  components  had  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  North- 
Western  in  1859,  and  these  two  great  corporations  became  rivals  in  the  territory 
west  and  north  from  Chicago.  It  was  therefore  a  wise  policy  on  the  part  of  the 
managers  of  these  two  companies  to  work  for  a  consolidation.  Ogden  had  been 
at  the  head  of  affairs  in  the  older  organization,  and  now  having  become  the  leader 
in  the  newer  one,  possessed  the  necessary  weight  and  influence  to  bring  about  this 
most  desirable  result. 

THE    END    OF    THE    GALENA    &    CHICAGO    UNION 

"We  have  now  reached  a  point,"  says  the  author  of  "Yesterday  and  To-Day," 
"where  we  have  to  part  company  with  the  'Pioneer  Line.'  In  the  future  it  has  not 
only  to  share  the  fortunes  of  another  corporation,  but  is  to  exist,  be  maintained  and 
operated  under  another  corporation's  legal  title.  We  have,  in  the  preceding  pages, 
seen  it  grow  from  a  mere  name  on  paper  until  at  last  it  became  a  fact,  and  soon 
the  leading  railroad  of  the  west.  It  was  the  leader  in  nearly  everything  that  be- 
longed to  railroad  operation.  In  financial  standing  and  credit  it  was  without  a 
peer. 

"It  had  the  best,  largest,  and  most  modern  locomotive  engines.  Its  cars  were 
inferior  to  those  of  no  other  road.  It  built  the  first  and  had  the  best  passenger 
depot  in  Chicago,  and  better  facilities  for  handling  freight  than  any  other  road 
there.  It  had  built  and  adopted  the  first  railroad  mail-car  that  was  placed  in 
service.  It  also  had  the  first  contract  for  the  use  of  Pullman  sleeping  cars  that 
was  made  by  the  Pullman  Company.  Its  friends  were  legion  and  all  of  them  saw 
with  regret  the  extinction  of  its  name."  19 

THE    GREAT    CONSOLIDATION 

It  was  on  June  3d,  1864,  that  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union,  and  the  Chicago  & 
North- Western,  became  united  in  one  great  corporation  under  the  name  of  the 
Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway  Company.  "The  union  of  the  Galena  corpor- 
ation with  that  of  the  North-Western  was  much  more  than  a  seven-days'  wonder. 
It  was  talked  about  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  slopes  of  the  Missouri  river,  and 
opinions  were  as  varied  about  it  as  were  the  people  that  gave  them.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  this  was  the  first  really  important  railroad  consolidation  that  had 
taken  place  in  the  United  States." 

Upon  the  completion  of  the  consolidation  the  directors  of  the  new  company  is- 
sued an  explanatory  circular  from  which  the  following  is  quoted: 

"Among  the  reasons  which  influenced  those  who,  on  account  of  their  large  in- 
terests in  these  roads,  have  given  more  particular  attention  to  the  subject  and  ad- 
vised this  course  are  the  following:  Much  of  the  territory  traversed  by  these  roads 
was  so  situated  as  to  induce  injurious  competition  between  them.  The  union  of 
both  gives  greater  strength  and  power,  favoring  more  advantageous  and  extended 
connections,  and  better  relations  with  other  railroads  built  and  to  be  built;  and 
will  aid  to  prevent  the  construction  of  such  roads  as  would  only  serve  to  create 

10  "Yesterday  and  To-day,"  p.  32. 


268  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

injurious  competition,  without  any  adequate  increase  of  the  aggregate  earnings  of 
the  roads  competing. 

"Decided  economy,  material  reduction  of  expenses,  and  increased  and  more 
profitable  service  of  engines  and  cars  will  also  be  the  result  of  cooperation  in  the 
place  of  competition,  and  of  one  management  for  both  roads.  The  basis  and  terms 
of  this  consolidation  are  substantially  as  follows:  For  each  share  of  Galena  & 
Chicago  Union  Railroad  Company's  stock  the  holder  will  receive  one  share  of  the 
preferred  stock  and  one  share  of  the  common  stock  of  the  consolidated  Chicago  & 
North-Western  Railway  Company,  and  three  dollars  in  money. 

PRIVILEGES    OF    PREFERRED    AND    COMMON    STOCK    . 

"The  preferred  stock  of  this  company  to  be  issued  in  exchange  for  the  stock  of 
the  Galena  company  is  entitled  to  preferences  to  the  aggregate  extent  of  ten  per 
cent  in  the  dividends  which  may  be  declared  in  any  one  year,  out  of  the  net  earnings 
in  such  year,  in  the  manner  following,  to- wit:  First  to  a  preference  of  seven  per 
cent;  and  after,  dividends  of  seven  per  cent  on  the  common  stock;  then  secondly, 
to  a  further  preference  of  three  per  cent ;  after,  a  further  dividend  of  three  per  cent 
on  the  common  stock;  both  classes  of  stock  shall  be  entitled  to  equal  rates  per  share 
in  any  further  dividends. 

ADOPTION    OF    THE    NEW    NAME 

"The  principal  reason  for  dropping  the  pioneer  name  of  Galena  &  Chicago 
Union  Railroad  Company  in  the  consolidation,"  continues  the  circular  above  referred 
to,  "will  be  apparent  when  it  is  observed  that  no  portion  of  either  of  the  consolidated 
roads  touched  Galena ;  and  to  retain  the  name  of  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Rail- 
way Company  involved  no  change  of  books  or  blanks,  and  is  sufficiently  comprehen- 
sive to  include  the  large  territory  now  penetrated  by  the  united  roads."  20 

Thus  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union,  with  its  main  line  between  Chicago  and  Free- 
port,  and  its  leased  lines  into  Wisconsin,  Iowa  and  points  further  distant,  having 
a  total  mileage  of  five  hundred  and  forty-five  miles,  were  joined  to  the  Chicago  & 
North-Western,  with  its  main  line  between  Chicago  and  Green  Bay  and  its  leased 
lines  in  connection  therewith,  having  a  total  mileage  of  three  hundred  and  fifteen 
miles ;  making  a  grand  total  of  eight  hundred  and  sixty  miles  after  the  Great  Con- 
solidation of  1864  had  taken  place.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  officers  of  the 
Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway  after  the  consolidation:  W.  B.  Ogden,  Presi- 
dent; Perry  H.  Smith,  Vice  President;  Jas.  R.  Young,  Secretary;  J.  B.  Redfield, 
Assistant  Secretary;  Geo.  P.  Lee,  Treasurer;  G.  L.  Dunlap,  Superintendent;  J.  H. 
Howe,  General  Solicitor;  C.  B.  Talcott,  Chief  Engineer;  C.  S.  Tappan,  General 
Freight  Agent;  B.  F.  Patrick,  General  Passenger  Agent. 

VARIOUS  EXTENSIONS 

The  Winona  &  St.  Peter  Railroad,  which  began  construction  of  a  railroad  west 
of  Winona  in  1864,  built  as  far  as  Rochester,  Minnesota,  that  year  received  a  vain- 
able  grant  of  land  from  the  State  of  Minnesota.  On  October  31st,  1867,  this  cor- 
poration passed  into  the  control  of  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway  Company, 

20  "Yesterday  and  To-day,"  p.  33. 


MARVIN     IIUGIIITT 

President  of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway 
since   1887 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  269 

and  the  same  year  the  line  was  extended  to  Waseca,  Minnesota,  one  hundred  and 
live  miles  west  of  the  Mississippi  river  in  Minnesota. 


CHANGES    IN    THE    PRESIDENCY 

William  B.  Ogden,  the  first  Mayor  of  Chicago  in  1837,  who  had  been  president 
of  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway  and  some  of  its  predecessors  from  1859, 
was  on  June  4th,  1 868,  succeeded  by  Henry  Keep,  who  held  the  office  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  July,  1869.  Alexander  Mitchell  was  elected  president,  Septem- 
ber 1st,  1869,  and  he  held  that  office  until  June  3rd,  1870.  He  was  followed  by 
John  F.  Tracy,  who  held  the  office  from  June  3rd,  1870,  until  June  19th,  1873,  when 
Albert  Keep  was  elected  president. 

In  the  report  for  the  ninth  fiscal  year  ending  May  31,  1868,  the  president  re- 
ports the  purchase  from  D.  N.  Barney  and  his  associates  of  all  their  interests  in 
the  Winona  &  St.  Peter  Railroad  and  the  La  Crosse,  Trempeleau  &  Prescott  Rail- 
road. These  roads  were  operated  separately  by  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Rail- 
way, from  the  date  of  their  purchase  in  1868  until  the  completion  of  the  Baraboo 
Air  Line  Railroad  from  Madison,  Wisconsin,  to  Winona  Junction,  a  distance  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty-nine  miles,  in  1 873,  thus  making  a  continuous  line  from  Chicago 
to  Watertown,  South  Dakota. 

In  the  tenth  fiscal  year  ending  May  31,  1869,  the  equipment  of  the  Chicago  & 
North-Western  Railway  consisted  of  two  hundred  and  fifty-five  locomotives,  one 
hundred  and  fifty-five  passenger  coaches,  and  five  thousand,  four  hundred  and  fifty- 
eight  cars  of  all  kinds.  The  earnings  from  all  sources  were  in  round  numbers,  $13,- 
941,000. 

During  the  fiscal  year  ending  May  31,  1871,  the  line  running  from  Geneva  to 
St.  Charles,  Illinois,  a  distance  of  two  and  one-half  miles,  was  completed.  During 
this  same  period  the  purchase  by  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway  Company 
of  the  Iowa  Midland  Railroad,  extending  from  Lyons,  Iowa,  seventy-five  miles  west 
to  Anamosa,  was  effected.  The  line  from  Richmond,  Illinois,  to  Lake  Geneva,  Wis- 
consin, was  completed  in  the  fall  of  1871. 

The  year  ending  May  31st,  1872,  witnessed  the  completion  of  the  line  to  Mari- 
nette,  Wisconsin,  on  the  Menominee  river.  Operation  of  this  part  of  the  line  com- 
menced in  February,  1872.  On  March  31st,  1872,  John  C.  Gault  resigned  as  general 
superintendent,  and  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Marvin  Hughitt.  The  year  1872  wit- 
nessed the  building  of  the  line  from  Geneva,  Illinois,  south  to  Batavia,  a  distance  of 
three  and  one-fifth  miles. 

THE    MAYFAIR   "CUT    OFF*' 

During  the  fiscal  year  ending  May  31st,  1873,  the  Mayfair  "cut  off"  was  com- 
pleted which  connects  the  Wisconsin  Division  and  the  Galena  Division,  starting  at 
a  point  between  Mayfair  and  Irving  Park  in  the  twenty-seventh  ward,  and  connect- 
ing with  the  Galena  Division  five  miles  west  of  the  Chicago  station.  This  saved  the 
hauling  to  the  Chicago  yards  of  all  live-stock  destined  for  the  Union  Stock  Yards, 
and  all  freight  going  east  and  south. 

The  general  office  at  323  West  Kinzie  street  (as  at  present  numbered)  was  com- 


270  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

pleted  and  first  occupied  December  1st,  1873.  Trains  commenced  running  regularly 
between  Fort  Howard,  Wisconsin  and  Escanaba,  Michigan,  during  December,  1872; 
the  completion  of  this  line  secured  to  the  Railway  Company  a  land  grant  of  a  little 
more  than  one  million  acres,  most  of  it  well  timbered,  which  in  later  years  furnished 
a  large  tonnage  for  transportation.  Two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  five  miles  from 
Wells  street  depot  was  purchased  for  the  erection  of  new  shops  for  the  Company. 

The  Baraboo  Air  Line  Railroad,  or  the  Madison  extension,  was  completed  to 
Winona  Junction,  and  opened  for  business  September  14th,  1873,  thus  completing 
the  line  through  to  Winona,  Minnesota.  The  North-Western  Union,  extending  from 
Milwaukee  to  Fond  du  Lac,  a  distance  of  nearly  sixty-three  miles,  was  completed 
on  September  7,  1873.  This  year  witnessed  the  "Granger  Legislation"  in  the  vari- 
ous states,  and  the  financial  panic  of  1 873. 

ASTOUNDING  PROGRESS    IN   TEN    YEARS 

At  the  close  of  the  fiscal  year,  May  31st,  1874,  the  total  mileage  of  the  Chicago 
&  North-Western  Railway  and  proprietary  roads  was  nineteen  hundred  and  fifty- 
two  miles,  and  the  gross  earnings  $15,631,000,  being  an  increase  in  ten  years  of 
nearly  eleven  hundred  miles,  that  is,  since  the  great  consolidation  of  1864.  The 
next  few  years  show  a  steady  increase  in  mileage  as  well  as  tonnage. 

On  May  23rd,  1881,  trains  commenced  running  into  the  new  passenger  station 
located  at  the  corner  of  Wells  and  Kinzie  streets.  This  station  when  completed 
was  considered  the  largest  and  finest  passenger  station  in  Chicago,  and  allowed 
all  the  passengers  from  the  three  divisions  of  the  road  to  arrive  at  and  depart  from 
the  same  station. 

PURCHASE    OF    THE    CHICAGO,    ST.    PAUL,    MINNEAPOLIS    &    OMAHA    RAILWAY 

In  November,  1882,  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway  Company  purchased 
a  majority  of  the  capital  stock  of  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha  Rail- 
way, which  consisted  of  eleven  hundred  and  forty-seven  miles  of  first  class  railroad 
and  equipment,  extending  in  a  northwesterly  direction  from  Elroy,  Wisconsin,  to 
St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  and  Duluth,  Minnesota,  and  to  Superior,  Wisconsin,  on  Lake 
Superior;  and  extending  from  Minneapolis  southwest  to  Omaha,  Nebraska,  besides 
many  important  branch  lines. 

During  the  fiscal  year  ending  May  31st,  1882,  the  construction  of  a  second  track 
from  Clybourn  Junction  to  Montrose  (now  May  fair),  and  from  Clybourn  Junction 
to  Evanston,  was  begun.  The  year  closing  May  31st,  1884,  saw  the  work  on  the 
second  track  on  the  Wisconsin  Division  continued  towards  Des  Plaines,  Illinois. 

In  July,  1884,  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  assumed  control  of  the  Sioux  City 
&  Pacific  Railroad,  which  owned  one  hundred  and  seven  miles  extending  from  Mis- 
souri Valley  to  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  and  from  California  Junction  to  Fremont,  Ne- 
braska, also  the  control  of  the  Fremont,  Elkhorn  &  Missouri  Valley  Railroad,  which 
consisted  of  three  hundred  and  eleven  miles  of  railroad  running  west  from  Fremont, 
Nebraska,  including  branches.  The  gross  earnings  of  the  Chicago  &  North-Western 
Railway  for  the  year  ending  May  31,  1884,  amounted  to  $25,000,000,  and  the  total 
miles  operated  three  thousand,  seven  hundred  and  sixty-three,  being  an  increase  of 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  271 

nearly  $10,000,000,  in  earnings,  and  an  increase  of  nearly  one  hundred  per  cent  in 
miles  operated  over  that  for  the  fiscal  year  ending  May  31st,  1874. 

OTHER   IMPORTANT  EVENTS   IN    THE    HISTORY   OF   THE    ROAD 

During  the  year  ending  May  31st,  1885,  the  grade  crossing  at  Chicago  avenue 
and  Halsted  street  was  eliminated  by  the  erection  of  viaducts.  January  1st,  1887, 
the  general  offices  of  the  Company  were  moved  from  Kinzie  street  to  a  remodelled 
building  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Lake  street  and  Fifth  avenue.  On  June  2nd 
of  the  same  year  Mr.  Marvin  Hughitt  was  elected  president  of  the  Company.  Dur- 
ing the  year  ending  May  31st,  1887,  a  new  iron  double-track  draw  bridge  was  built 
over  the  north  branch  of  the  Chicago  river  near  Deering  station,  replacing  a  single 
track  wooden  one.  The  construction  of  a  connecting  link  between  the  Wisconsin 
Division  at  Mayfair  and  the  Milwaukee  Division  at  North  Evanston,  now  Central 
street,  Evanston,  was  commenced  during  1889.  During  the  year  ending  May  31st, 
1890,  the  present  commodious  passenger  station  at  Milwaukee  was  completed.  The 
year  ending  May  31st,  1891,  saw  the  completion  of  the  second  track  between  Chi- 
cago and  the  Mississippi  river.  On  September  1st,  1893,  the  Chicago  &  North- 
Western  Railway  absorbed  by  purchase  the  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  &  Western 
Railway,  consisting  of  seven  hundred  and  fifty-seven  miles  of  well  constructed  and 
equipped  railway,  extending  in  a  northerly  direction  from  Milwaukee,  through  Wis- 
consin and  into  the  upper  peninsula  of  Michigan.  The  report  of  the  year  ending 
May  31st,  1894,  showed  a  total  mileage  of  five  thousand  and  thirty  miles,  gross 
earnings  of  $31,986,000,  and  the  number  of  engines  one  thousand  and  ten.  These 
figures  do  not  include  mileage  and  earnings  of  lines  west  of  the  Missouri  river. 

Track  elevation  was  begun  in  Chicago  May,  1895,  on  the  Galena  Division,  which 
was  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  expensive  improvements  ever  begun,  both  for  the 
Railway  Company  and  for  the  public.  During  the  year  ending  May  31st,  1898,  a 
new  riveted-steel,  lattice-truss,  double-track,  center-pier  swing  bridge,  two  hundred 
feet  in  length,  operated  by  electricity,  was  erected  over  the  North  Branch  of  the 
Chicago  river  at  the  Wells  street  terminal,  replacing  a  double-track  steel  truss  bridge 
one  hundred  and  seventy  feet  in  length.  During  the  year  ending  May  31st,  1900, 
the  present  commodious  brick  and  stone  passenger  station  was  completed  at  Cly- 
bourn  Junction,  Chicago.  On  December  12th,  1900,  the  directors  inaugurated  a 
pension  system  which  retired  all  employes  who  had  reached  the  age  of  seventy 
years,  and  who  had  been  employed  in  the  service  at  least  twenty  years  or  more,  on 
a  pension.  This  became  effective  January  1st,  1901.  In  the  report  for  the  year 
ending  May  31st,  1902,  the  president  reports  the  completion  of  the  double  track  of 
the  main  line  from  Chicago  to  Council  Bluffs  Transfer,  Iowa,  on  the  Missouri  river, 
a  distance  of  four  hundred  and  ninety  miles,  being  the  first  road  out  of  Chicago  to 
complete  this  important  improvement. 

LATER    IMPROVEMENTS 

On  December  4th,  1902,  the  Annex  to  the  Wells  street  passenger  station  was 
opened  for  the  accommodation  of  suburban  traffic.  During  the  year  ending  June 
30,  1904,  the  construction  of  third  and  fourth  tracks  between  Chicago  and  Milwaukee 
was  commenced  at  a  point  on  the  Mayfair-Evanston  "cut  off,"  north  of  the  crossing 


272  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

of  the  North  Branch  of  the  Chicago  river.  These  tracks  are  now  used  by  through 
passenger  and  freight  trains.  In  June,  1905,  the  general  offices  of  the  Company 
were  moved  into  a  splendid  office  building  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Jackson  boule- 
vard and  Franklin  street.  This  is  the  finest  building  in  Chicago  devoted  entirely 
to  the  general  office  use  of  a  railway  company. 

REVIEW    OF    FORTY    YEARS 

Forty  years  had  now  elapsed  since  the  great  consolidation  of  the  Galena  &  Chi- 
cago Union  and  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway,  in  1 864.  The  eight  hundred 
and  sixty  miles  had  increased  to  seven  thousand,  four  hundred  and  eleven  miles 
operated  during  the  year  ending  June  30,  1904;  and  the  total  gross  earnings  to 
$53,334,000.  The  total  number  of  engines  were  now  thirteen  hundred  and  seven, 
and  the  total  number  of  cars  fifty-two  thousand,  eight  hundred  and  seven. 

THE   GREAT  NEW  TERMINAL 

In  the  annual  report  for  the  year  ending  June  30th,  1907,  mention  is  made  of 
the  new  passenger  terminal  which  has  lately  been  completed  on  the  West  Side  be- 
tween Lake  street  on  the  north,  and  Madison  street  on  the  south,  occupying  three 
blocks  between  Canal  street  on  the  east  and  Clinton  street  on  the  west.  This  station, 
now  completed,  is  the  most  imposing  and  commodious  railway  station  in  Chica- 
go, and  is  used  exclusively  by  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway.  Trains 
enter  the  station  on  elevation,  and  the  train  shed  contains  sixteen  tracks.  The 
cost  of  the  new  right  of  way,  land  for  the  station,  and  the  station  itself  ap- 
proximated twenty  millions  of  dollars. 

A  new  double  track,  single-leaf,  bascule  bridge  was  completed  over  the  North 
Branch  of  the  Chicago  river  at  Kinzie  street  in  September,  1909;  and  was  opened 
for  use  of  trains  Monday  morning,  on  the  21st  of  that  month.  This  is  the  longest 
single-leaf,  double  track,  bascule  bridge  in  America. 

The  year  ending  June  30th,  1909,  witnessed  the  completion  of  the  new  double 
track  bridge  across  the  Mississippi  river  between  East  Clinton,  Illinois,  and  Clinton, 
Iowa,  a  distance  between  abutments  on  the  Illinois  and  Iowa  sides  of  four  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  twelve  feet. 

The  total  number  of  locomotive  engines  owned  by  the  Company  is  1520,  and  the 
total  number  of  cars  of  all  descriptions  is  65,971.  Of  the  latter  number  1078  are 
passenger  cars,  including  parlor  and  dining  cars,  63,828  freight  cars,  and  1065  ca- 
boose and  baggage  cars. 

As  stated  above,  the  engines  in  use  on  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway 
and  its  predecessors  bore  names  just  as  vessels  do.  In  the  book  "Yesterday  and 
To-day,"  the  names  of  sixty-one  of  the  engines  are  given,  among  which  are  "Pioneer," 
"Shawbeney,"  "Waubansee,"  "Winnebago,"  "Wabashaw,"  "Black  Hawk,"  "Sauga- 
nash,"  "Pecatonica,"  and  others  having  historical  significance.  We  have  already  re- 
ferred to  the  old  chief  Shabbona,  whose  name  appears  spelled  in  different  ways — 
"Shawbeney,"  "Shaubena,"  or  "Shabbona,"  and  who  was  a  familiar  sight  to  early 
residents  of  Chicago,  proudly  standing  by  the  engine  which  bore  his  name  as  it 
stood  in  the  depot,  pointing  it  out  to  people  while  they  were  passing  and  occasion- 
ally exclaiming,  "Shabbona — me!" 


By  courtesy  t>f  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway 

MAIN    WAITING    ROOM    OF    THE    PASSENGER    TERMINAL    OF    THE 
CHICAGO   &    NORTHWESTERN    RAILWAY 


By  courtesy  of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway 


STREET  LEVEL  LOBBY  OF  PASSENGER  TERMINAL  OF  THE  CHICAGO  & 
NORTHWESTERN    RAILWAY 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  273 

A  summary  of  the  leading  facts  in  regard  to  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Rail- 
way as  shown  by  the  annual  report  issued  on  June  30th,  1910,  was  as  follows: 

The  total  number  of  miles  of  railroad  owned  by  the  Chicago  &  North-Western 
Railway  on  June  30th,  1910,  was  7,506.47.  In  addition  to  this  mileage  there  are 
122.92  miles  of  railroad  operated  under  leases  and  trackage  rights.  The  above 
mileage  is  located  as  follows: 

In  Illinois    685.02  miles 

In  Wisconsin    1968.73  " 

In  Michigan 519.88  " 

In  Iowa    1579.71  " 

In  Minnesota 650.30  " 

In  South  Dakota 978.96  " 

In  North  Dakota    14.28  " 

In  Nebraska    1 102.05  " 

In  Wyoming    130.46  " 


Total 7629.39 

A  summary  of  the  mileage  of  all  tracks  owned  by  the  Company,  including  sid- 
ings, second,  third  and  fourth  tracks,  shows  a  total  of  11,593.66  miles. 

PRESIDENTS   OF   THE    GALENA    Si    CHICAGO    UNION 

The  names  of  the  presidents  of  the  old  Galena  &  Chicago  Union,  and  the  dates 
of  their  elections,  are  as  follows:  Theophilus  W.  Smith,  elected  July  3,  1836;  Eli- 
jah K.  Hubbard,  elected  November  29,  1837; 'William  B.  Ogden,  elected  February 
17,  1846;  J.  Young  Scammon  (pro  tern),  elected  June  2,  1848;  John  B.  Turner, 
elected  June  5,  1851;  Walter  L.  Newberry,  elected  June  1,  1859;  William  H. 
Brown,  elected  June  4,  1862;  John  B.  Turner,  elected  June  1,  1864. 

This  road  was  consolidated  with  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway  on 
June  3d,  1864,  under  the  corporate  name  of  the  latter. 

PRESIDENTS    OF    THE    CHICAGO    &    NORTH-WESTERN 

The  names  of  the  presidents  of  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway,  and  the 
dates  of  their  elections,  are  as  follows:  William  B.  Ogden,  elected  June  7,  1859; 
Henry  Keep,  elected  June  4,  1868,  (Henry  Keep  died  in  July,  1869);  Alexander 
Mitchell,  elected  September  1,  1869;  John  F.  Tracy,  elected  June  3,  1870;  Albert 
Keep,  elected  June  19,  1873;  Marvin  Hughitt,  elected  June  2,  1887. 

In  the  early  days  of  railroading  it  was  not  customary  for  the  employes  of  the 
railroad  to  wear  uniforms  as  is  now  the  universal  practice.  Every  one,  conductor, 
brakeman  and  others  at  the  stations,  wore  such  clothes  as  pleased  them  best.  If 
we  should  suddenly  return  to  conditions  in  this  respect  as  they  existed  in  the  sixties 
and  seventies  the  sight  of  "plain  clothes"  men  on  duty  would  astonish  the  beholders. 
It  is  related  that  on  the  eastern  roads  it  was  not  uncommon  to  see  the  conductors  in 
a  silk  hat  and  a  frock  coat  going  through  the  train  taking  fares  or  collecting  tickets, 
and  at  the  stations  giving  the  signals  for  starting  with  a  red  silk  handkerchief.  In- 
deed, the  conductor  of  a  train  was  the  personage  who,  in  the  eyes  of  the  public, 


274  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

represented  the  glory  and  dignity  of  the  entire  railroad  system,  and  to  whom  due 
homage  was  rendered  by  the  travelers  and  residents  along  the  line.  Trains  were 
known  to;  the  regular  patrons  of  the  railroad  by  the  name  of  the  conductor,  and 
commuters  especijilly  exchanged  greetings  with  the  conductor  and  his  associates  in 
the  most  intimate  terms  of  neighborly  regard. 

CHICAGO    AND    NORTH-WESTERN    RAILWAY THE    NEW    TERMINAL    STATION 

The  new  building  for  the  terminal  station  of  the  Chicago  &  North- Western  Rail- 
way, completed  in  the  spring  of  1911,  is  situated  on  West  Madison  street,  between 
Canal  and  Clinton  streets,  facing  to  the  south.  It  is  a  four  story  structure  of  the 
early  Renaissance  style  of  architecture,  with  an  elevated  Doric  portico  at  the  en- 
trance, supported  on  a  colonnade  of  six  granite  columns.  Each  of  these  columns  is 
seven  feet  in  diameter  at  the  base  and  sixty-one  feet  high.  Immediately  back  of  this 
colonnade,  entered  by  three  great  arches,  is  a  vaulted  vestibule,  one  hundred  and 
thirty-two  feet  wide,  twenty-two  feet  deep,  and  forty  feet  high.  At  the  end  of 
this  vestibule  are  broad  granite  stairways  to  the  main  waiting  room  on  the  track 
level  floor.  Similar  vestibules  of  simpler  architectural  treatment  give  entrance  from 
Canal  and  Clinton  streets.  These  vestibules  lead  directly  to  a  large  public  space, 
two  hundred  feet  by  ninety-two  feet,  around  which  are  arranged  in  a  convenient 
manner  the  ticket  office,  baggage  room,  lunch  room,  news  stand,  telegraph  offices, 
parcel  check  room,  etc.  From  the  center  of  this  public  space  the  public  stairway 
leads  to  the  concourse  of  the  main  waiting  room  on  the  track  floor. 

The  large  waiting  room,  which  is  the  main  architectural  feature  of  the  station,  is 
treated  as,  a  Roman  atrium  with  a  barrel  vault  roof.  The  pilasters  and  entire  order 
up  to  the  spring  of  the  vault  are  a  dull  finished,  light  pink,  Tennessee  marble.  The 
columns  standing  free  are  of  Greek  Cippolino  marble,  whose  dark  green  hue  harmo- 
nizes perfectly  with  the  greenish  bronze  of  the  metal  work  framing  the  glass  be- 
tween the  pilasters.  The  vault  is  of  ornamental  tile  construction  with  richly  orna- 
mental ribs  of  terra  cotta,  of  a  color  to  harmonize  with  the  marble  of  the  walls. 
This  great  waiting  room  is  directly  lighted  with  two  semi-elliptical  windows,  sixty 
feet  in  diameter,  at  either  end  of  the  vault,  and  ten  semi-circular  lunettes  piercing 
the  vault  five  feet  on  each  side.  It  is  also  arranged  to  be  lighted  artificially  by  re- 
flected light,  the  latest  method  of  illumination  by  electricity.  Arranged  conveni- 
ently around  this  main  waiting  room  are  the  dining  room,  women's  room,  smoking 
room,  barber  shop,  etc. 

The  exterior  walls  of  the  building  are  of  gray  Maine  granite,  and  are  con- 
tinuous with  the  enclosing  walls  of  the  train  shed,  which  are  of  mottled  gray  brick 
with  granite  trimmings.  The  roofs  consist  of  narrow  longitudinal  sheds  instead  of 
one  great  arch  roof  covering  a  large  space,  as  is  usually  found  in  constructions  of 
this  kind.  The  train  shed  walls  rise  to  a  height  slightly  greater  than  the  roof  of  the 
train  shed,  which  gives  the  entire  station  the  external  appearance  of  one  mammoth 
building.  In  beauty,  dignity  and  grandeur,  this  building  surpasses  all  other  struc- 
tures of  its  kind  in  the  city. 

COST    OF    THE    TERMINAL    STATION,    APPROACHES,    ETC. 

The  total  cost  of  the  terminal  station  and  approaches  will  approximate  twenty- 
three  million,  seven  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  This  is  divided  into  the 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  275 

following  items  as  estimated  by  the  Chicago  and  North-Western  Railway  Company 
in  a  pamphlet  issued  in  June,  1910. 

Real  Estate  and  Legal  Expenses $11,560,000.00 

Station  Building  and   Train  Shed    6,380,000.00 

Power  Station,  Building  and   Equipment    810,000.00 

Elevated   approaches    5,000,000.00 


Total     $23,750,000.00 

The  work  of  construction  on  the  station  building  was  begun  in  November,  1908. 
Work  began  on  erecting  the  steel  structure  of  the  station  February,  1909. 

Ninety-three  of  the  caissons  for  the  foundations  under  the  station  building,  and 
those  under  the  chimney  of  the  power  station  extend  to  rock,  approximately  one 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  below  street  level.  All  the  other  caissons  are  founded 
upon  "hard  pan,"  approximately  eighty-five  feet  below  the  street  level.  There  were 
used  in  the  concrete  work  two  hundred  and  sixty-five  thousand  cubic  yards  of  ce- 
ment ;  and  of  structural  steel  in  the  station  and  street  viaducts,  thirty-seven  thousand 
tons.  The  various  tracks  approaching  the  station  make  a  total  length  of  eighteen 
miles. 

AREAS    AND    DIMENSIONS    OF    THE    TERMINAL    STATION 

The  area  of  the  station  building  proper  is  three  hundred  and  twenty  by  two  hun- 
dred and  eighteen  feet;  that  of  the  train  shed  roof  two  hundred  and  sixty-five  thou- 
sand, eight  hundred  square  feet;  the  area  of  the  right  of  way  connected  with  the 
terminal  station  is  thirty-seven  acres,  of  which  the  buildings  of  the  station  cover 
twenty  acres  of  surface.  There  are  eight  passenger  platforms,  each  sixteen  feet 
and  nine  inches  in  width.  These  platforms  aggregate  a  total  length  of  seven 
thousand,  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet. 

The  station  is  equipped  with  a  power  plant  provided  with  turbine  engines,  and 
with  interlocking  signals  of  the  latest  design.  A  total  of  seven  hundred  and  eighty 
horse  power  in  motors  for  various  service  throughout  the  terminal  station  power 
plant  was  installed. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

EDUCATION   IN  CHICAGO 

PROVISIONS  OF  THE  ORDINANCE  OF   1787 GOVERNMENT'S  DUTY  TO  PROVIDE  EDUCATION  — 

SCHOOL    SECTION    IN    EVERY    TOWNSHIP SOURCES    OF     INCOME    FOR    SCHOOLS FIRST 

SCHOOLS    IN    CHICAGO JOHN     WATKINS    AS    TEACHER SCHOOL    OPENED    NEAR    FORT 

DEARBORN PRIMITIVE     ACCOMMODATIONS ELISA     CHAPPEL     FIRST     PUBLIC     SCHOOL 

TEACHER SPROAT'S  SCHOOL    FOR  BOYS SALE   OF   SCHOOL    LANDS SCHOOL   DISTRICTS 

FORMED BOARD  OF  INSPECTORS  ELECTED IMPROVEMENTS  IN  SCHOOL  MANAGE- 
MENT SUGGESTED ORDER  AND  SYSTEM  INTRODUCED RULES  ADOPTED SCHOOL  TAX 

LEVIED INSTRUCTION  IN  VOCAL  MUSIC FRANK  LUMBARD  FIRST  TEACHER  OF  VO- 
CAL MUSIC FIRST  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  BUILDIN.G "MILTIMORE's  FOLLY*' ADDITIONAL 

BUILDINGS    NEEDED THE    SCAMMON    SCHOOL- — THE    JONES    SCHOOL PROGRESS   MADE 

IN     TEN    YEARS MISS     CATHARINE     BEECHER's    WORK WOMEN    TEACHERS     BROUGHT 

FROM  THE  EAST HARDSHIPS  OF  TEACHERS  IN  COUNTRY  DISTRICTS MISS  BURNS*  EX- 
PERIENCE  MOVEMENT  TO  ESTABLISH  HIGH  SCHOOLS OFFICE  OF  SCHOOL  SUPERIN- 
TENDENT CREATED JOHN  C.  DORE  FIRST  SUPERINTENDENT WILLIAM  H.  WELLS 

SECOND  SUPERINTENDENT HIGH  SCHOOL  BUILDING  ERECTED OVERCROWDED  CON- 
DITION OF  SCHOOLS GEORGE  HOWLAND  BECOMES  SUPERINTENDENT. 

PROVISIONS    OF    THE    ORDINANCE    OF     1787 

N  ORDER  to  appreciate  thoroughly  the  sentiment  of  the  American  people 
on  the  subject  of  education  in  general,  its  importance  in  preparing  future 
generations  properly  to  perform  their  part  in  upholding  the  government 
which  had  been  established  by  the  founders  of  the  republic,  we  must 
begin  with  the  Ordinance  of  1787.  This  ordinance  embodied  a  declara- 
tion on  the  subject  which  has  never  been  lost  sight  of,  and  which  has  vitally  influ- 
enced the  form  of  government  of  every  territory  and  state  which  has  been  formed 
since  its  passage. 

The  Northwest  Territory  was  organized  under  the  so-called  Ordinance  of  1787, 
passed  by  Congress  on  the  13th  of  July  of  the  year  given  in  the  title  of  the  Ordi- 
nance, and  while  yet  sitting  under  the  Articles  of  Confederation.  The  constitution 
of  the  United  States  was  not  adopted  until  the  17th  of  September  following.  This 
famous  Ordinance  has  been  called  the  "American  Magna  Charta,"  because  it  en- 
grafted upon  the  organic  law  of  all  the  states  thereafter  admitted  to  the  Union  the 
principles  of  human  freedom,  equal  rights  and  privileges  of  education. 

The  leading  feature  of  the  Ordinance  was  the  provision  against  the  introduction 
of  slavery  into  the  Northwest  Territory.  Other  provisions  were:  religious  free- 
dom, inviolability  of  contracts,  prevention  of  primogeniture,  good  faith  towards  the 

276 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  277 

Indians,  and  the  provision  that  the  states  which  might  be  formed  from  the  territory 
should  forever  remain  a  part  of  the  Union.  One  sentence  of  the  Ordinance  (in 
Article  the  Third)  was  as  follows:  "Religion,  morality  and  knowledge  being  nec- 
essary to  good  government  and  the  happiness  of  mankind,  schools  and  the  means 
of  education  shall  forever  be  encouraged."  From  the  spirit  and  letter  of  this  pro- 
vision arose  the  educational  institutions  of  our  state. 

Of  the  Ordinance  of  1787  Daniel  Webster  said,  "It  need  hardly  be  said  that 
that  paper  expresses  just  sentiments  on  the  great  subject  of  civil  and  religious  lib- 
erty. Such  sentiments  were  common,  and  abound  in  all  our  state  papers  of  that  day. 
But  this  Ordinance  did  that  which  was  not  common,  and  which  is  not  even  now 
universal:  that  is,  it  set  forth  and  declared  it  to  be  a  high  and  binding  duty  of 
government  itself  to  .support  schools  and  advance  the  means  of  education,  on  the 
plain  reason  that  religion,  morality,  and  knowledge  are  necessary  to  good  govern- 
ment, and  to  the  happiness  of  mankind." 

On  February  3,  1809,  the  territory  of  Illinois  was  organized.  Nine  years  later 
the  popular  demand  became  insistent  for  a  state  organization ;  and  Congress,  on  the 
18th  of  April,  1818,  passed  an  act  authorizing  the  inhabitants  of  the  territory  of 
Illinois  to  form  for  themselves  a  constitution  and  state  government.  This  was  called 
the  Enabling  Act,  and  contained  certain  propositions  for  the  consideration  of  a  con- 
vention, to  be  called  by  the  people  of  Illinois  territory  for  the  purpose  of  accepting 
or  rejecting  them;  and  in  case  of  acceptance  the  propositions  offered  "shall  be  oblig- 
atory upon  the  United  States  and  the  said  state."  l 

SCHOOL   SECTION    IN    EVERY   TOWNSHIP 

In  harmony  with  that  clause  in  the  Ordinance  of  1787  which  provided  that 
"schools  and  the  means  of  education  shall  forever  be  encouraged,"  the  first  proposi- 
tion of  the  Enabling  Act  was  as  follows:  "The  section  numbered  sixteen  in  every 
township,  and,  when  such  section  has  been  sold  or  otherwise  disposed  of,  other  lands 
equivalent  thereto,  and  as  contiguous  as  may  be,  shall  be  granted  to  the  state,  for 
the  use  of  the  inhabitants  of  such  township,  for  the  use  of  schools."  This,  however, 
was  not  the  first  mention  of  "section  sixteen."  In  1785  an  ordinance  was  passed  by 
the  continental  congress  providing  for  the  present  system  of  land  surveys,  in  the 
Northwest  Territory,  by  townships  six  miles  square.  Provision  was  made  in  this 
ordinance  that  section  sixteen  in  each  township  should  be  set  apart  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  public  schools  in  that  township.  This  is  the  first  official  step  in  the  history 
of  the  Northwest  towards  building  up  the  school  system  which  we  now  have. 

The  convention  provided  for  in  the  Enabling  Act  met  at  Kaskaskia,  the  seat  of 
government  since  the  territorial  organization,  and  on  the  26th  of  August,  1818, 
adopted  an  ordinance  which  accepted  the  propositions  offered  by  Congress,  and  made 
them  a  part  of  the  constitution  of  the  new  state.  What  were  the  important  conse- 
quences of  the  adoption  of  the  "first  proposition"  above  mentioned,  and  how  in 
some  cases  its  beneficent  purpose  was  defeated  will  be  shown  later. 

SOURCES  OF   INCOME    FOR  SCHOOLS 

Besides  the  amount  derived  from  the  taxes,  which  is  the  main  source  of  mainte- 
nance of  the  schools  of  the  state,  there  .are  now  in  Illinois  several  funds  for  the  sup- 

1  Revised    Statutes,   '85,   p.   26. 


278  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

port  of  schools,  some  to  be  devoted  to  the  common  schools,  others  to  those  for  higher 
education.  The  permanent  township  fund  secured  by  the  use  of  section  sixteen,  al- 
ready mentioned,  is  the  largest.  Only  the  income  from  it  may  be  used,  and  the  amount 
of  this  income  depends  on  the  wisdom  of  the  disposal  of  those  lands  by  the  trustees 
in  charge  of  them.  Another  large  fund  in  Illinois  is  the  state  school  fund,  which 
was  provided  for  in  the  Enabling  Act  of  1818.  It  consists  of  three  per  cent  of  the 
net  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  all  public  lands  in  the  state,  one-sixth  of  this  amount  to 
be  given  to  a  college,  or  university,  the  rest  to  the  common  schools.  This  fund  was 
increased  in  1837  by  adding  a  part  of  the  money  that  came  to  the  state  under  the 
congressional  act  of  1836  distributing  among  the  states  the  surplus  revenue.  This 
the  state  borrows,  paying  six  per  cent  interest,  which  is  distributed  to  the  several 
counties,  thence  through  the  township  treasurers  to  the  school  boards  to  contribute 
to  the  support  of  the  local  schools.  There  are  also  three  state  funds  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  higher  education,  all  received  from  the  federal  government.  The  interest 
from  two  of  these  is  given  to  the  two  older  normal  schools ;  the  interest  from  the 
other  is  devoted  to  the  University  of  Illinois.2 

In  spite  of  the  generous  gifts  of  Congress  for  public  education,  free  schools  were 
not  provided  for  by  the  state  for  many  years,  there  being  a  strong  objection  on  the 
part  of  many  citizens  to  a  tax  for  the  purpose,  which  was  necessary  to  supplement 
the  funds  established  by  the  government.  Illinois'  first  law  providing  for  the  es- 
tablishing and  partial  maintenance  of  public  schools,  which  was  passed  in  1825,  was 
not  acted  upon,  and  became  a  dead  letter.  It  was  after  1 830  that  a  common  school 
system  was  established  in  Illinois,  and  provision  for  it  made.  Before  that  time  the 
instruction  was  fragmentary,  the  teachers,  in  general,  an  adventurous,  illiterate  class 
of  men,  starting  schools  here  and  there  as  a  means  of  livelihood,  the  remuneration 
being  in  cash  or  in  produce,  or  in  weekly  board. ' 

FIRST   SCHOOLS   IN  CHICAGO 

In  Chicago,  as  elsewhere  in  Illinois,  public  schools  were  of  slow  growth.  This 
lack  of  sympathy  with  the  cause  of  education  is  usually  true  of  new  communities, 
whose  first  and  absorbing  interest  is  to  gain  the  necessities  of  life,  while  the  more 
remote  though  important  need  for  that  which  will  make  good  citizens  is  lost  sight 
of  for  the  time  being.  Meanwhile  the  children  of  those  families  who  first  settled 
in  Chicago  were  receiving  instruction,  partial  and  private;  with  these  early  begin- 
nings we  find  the  first  attempts  at  teaching  in  Chicago.  An  account  of  the  first  step 
taken  in  education  here  is  given  in  the  Fourth  Annual  Report  of  the  Public  Schools 
of  Chicago  for  the  year  1857,  written  by  William  H.  Wells,  at  that  time  superin- 
tendent of  schools. 

"The  first  regular  tuition  given  in  Chicago  was  in  the  winter  of  1810-11,  by 
Robert  A.  Forsyth,  late  paymaster  in  the  United  States  Army,  and  the  first  pupil 
was  our  present  respected  citizen,  John  H.  Kinzie,  Esq.  The  teacher  was  about 
thirteen  years  of  age,  and  the  pupil  six.  The  principal  aid  employed  in  the  course 
of  private  lessons  was  a  spelling  book  that  had  been  brought  from  Detroit  to  Chi- 
cago in  a  chest  of  tea. 

"The  first  school  taught  in  Chicago  was  opened  in  the  fall  of  1816,  by  William 

2  E.  B.  Greene:    Government  of  Illinois,  pp.  106  et  seq. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  279 

L.  Cox,  a  discharged  soldier,  in  a  log  building  belonging  to  John  Kinzie,  Esq.  The 
house  had  been  occupied  as  a  bakery,  and  stood  in  the  back  part  of  Mr.  Kinzie's 
garden,  near  the  present  crossing  of  Pine  and  Michigan  streets.  The  children  com- 
posing this  school  were  John  H.  Kinzie,  with  two  of  his  sisters  and  one  brother,  and 
three  or  four  children  from  the  Fort." 

The  next  school  of  which  there  is  a  record  was  one  opened  in  1820  inside  Fort 
Dearborn,  taught  by  a  sergeant.  Nine  years  later  a  small  family  school  was  started 
for  the  children  of  J.  B.  Beaubien,  the  agent  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  and 
of  Mark  Beaubien.  Charles  H.  Beaubien,  the  son  of  the  agent,  was  the  teacher  of 
this  small  group. 

The  first  school  which  in  personnel,  if  not  in  its  source  of  maintenance,  re- 
sembled the  public  school,  was  one  opened  in  June,  1830,  by  Stephen  Forbes,  on 
the  west  bank  of  the  Chicago  river,  then  flowing  south  at  that  point,  which  is  now 
the  crossing  of  Randolph  street  and  Michigan  avenue.  To  understand  this  it  must 
be  remembered  that  the  river  did  not  flow  into  the  lake  in  the  direct  course  it  now 
does,  but  flowed  southward  from  the  main  stream  about  on  the  line  of  the  present 
Michigan  avenue,  as  far  as  Madison  street  where  it  opened  into  the  lake.  The 
teacher  was  employed  by  Mr.  Beaubien  and  by  Lieutenant  David  Hunter,  who  later, 
in  1836,  became  a  citizen  of  Chicago,  and  was  afterwards  a  major-general  in  the 
Civil  War.  In  Mr.  Wells'  report  we  read,  "Mr.  Forbes'  school  numbered  about 
twenty-five  pupils,  of  ages  from  four  to  twenty,  and  embraced  the  children  of  those 
belonging  to  the  Fort,  and  of  Mr.  J.  B.  Beaubien,  and  a  few  others.  It  was  taught 
in  a  large,  low,  gloomy  log  building,  which  had  five  rooms.  The  walls  of  the  school 
room  were  afterwards  enlivened  by  a  tapestry  of  white  cotton  sheeting.  The  house 
belonged  to  Mr.  Beaubien,  and  had  been  previously  occupied  by  the  Sutler  of  the 
Fort."  Mr.  Forbes  was  assisted  in  teaching  by  his  wife,  and  they  lived  in  the  same 
building  with  the  school.  After  teaching  a  year  he  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Foot,  later 
becoming  county  sheriff. 

In  1831,  when  Cook  county  was  organized,  Colonel  Richard  J.  Hamilton  became 
commissioner  of  school  lands  for  the  county,  and  for  ten  years  had  charge  of  school 
funds.  (The  school  funds  were  not  drawn  on  until  two  years  later.)  In  the  spring 
of  1882  he  and  Colonel  Owen  engaged  Mr.  John  Watkins  as  teacher.  The  follow- 
ing is  a  part  of  a  letter  written  by  Mr.  Watkins  to  the  Calumet  Club  from  Joliet, 
Illinois,  June  22,  1879: 

"I  arrived  in  Chicago  in  May,  1832,  and  have  always  had  the  reputation  of  be- 
ing its  first  school  teacher.  I  never  heard  my  claim  disputed.  I  commenced  teach- 
ing in  the  fall  after  the  Black  Hawk  War,  1832.  My  first  school-house  was  situated 
on  the  North  Side,  about  half  way  between  the  lake  and  the  forks  of  the  river, 
then  known  as  Wolf  Point.  The  building  belonged  to  Col.  Richard  J.  Ham- 
ilton, was  erected  for  a  horse  stable,  and  had  been  used  as  such.  It  was  twelve 
feet  square.  My  benches  and  desks  were  made  of  old  store-boxes.  The  school  was 
started  by  private  subscription.  Thirty  scholars  were  subscribed  for,  but  many 
subscribed  who  had  no  children.  So  it  was  a  sort  of  free  school,  there  not  being 
thirty  children  in  town.  During  my  first  quarter  I  had  but  twelve  scholars,  only 
four  of  them  white :  the  others  were  quarter,  half,  and  three-quarter  Indians.  After 
the  first  quarter  I  moved  my  school  into  a  double  log-house  on  the  West  Side. 


280  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

It  was  owned  by  Rev.  Jesse  Walker,  a  Methodist  minister,  and  was  located  near 
the  bank  of  the  river,  where  the  North  and  South  branches  meet.  He  resided  in 
one  end  of  the  building,  and  I  taught  in  the  other.  On  Sundays,  Father  Walker 
preached  in  the  room  where  I  taught. 

"In  the  winter  of  1832-3  Billy  Caldwell,  a  half-breed  chief  of  the  Pottawattomie 
Indians,  better  known  as  'Sauganash,'  offered  to  pay  the  tuition  and  buy  the  books 
for  all  Indian  children  who  would  attend  school,  if  they  would  dress  like  the  Ameri- 
cans, and  he  would  also  pay  for  their  clothes.  But  not  a  single  one  would  accept 
the  proposition,  conditioned  on  the  change  of  apparel. 

"When  I  first  went  to  Chicago,  there  was  but  one  frame  building  there,  and 
it  was  a  store  owned  by  Robert  A.  Kinzie.  The  rest  of  the  houses  were  made  of 
logs.  There  were  no  bridges;  the  river  was  crossed  by  canoes. 

"I  will  now  give  you  the  names  of  some  of  my  scholars : — Thomas,  William  and 
George  Owen;  Richard  Hamilton;  Alexander,  Philip  and  Henry  Beaubien;  and 
Isaac  N.  Harmon,  now  a  merchant  in  Chicago." 

Mr.  Watkins  was  still  teaching  on  the  North  Side  in  1835,  when  his  school  had 
become  a  public  school. 

PRIMITIVE   SCHOOL   ACCOMMODATIONS 

In  1833  two  schools  were  started:  One  was  an  infant  school  for  town  and 
fort  children,  with  sessions  held  in  a  little  log  house  outside  the  military  reserva- 
tion, kept  by  Miss  Elisa  Chappel,  who  had  come  from  the  East.  "Many  of  the 
scholars  furnished  seats  for  themselves,  but  those  who  were  unable  to  do  so,  had 
primitive  seats  supplied  them.  None  of  the  seats  had  backs,  and  there  were  no 
desks,  but  there  was  a  table  on  which  the  elder  pupils  did  their  writing.  In  one 
end  of  the  room  was  a  small  raised  platform,  upon  which  stood  a  table  for  the 
teacher.  The  apparatus  used  in  teaching  consisted  of  a  numeral  frame,  a  map 
of  the  United  States  and  of  the  world,  a  globe,  scriptural  texts  and  hymns,  and 
illustrations  of  geometry  and  astronomy."  In  January,  1834,  Miss  Chappel  moved 
her  school  into  the  First  Presbyterian  church  building,  where  her  pupils  soon  after- 
ward gave  an  exhibition  of  their  work  which  pleased  alike  their  teacher  and  par- 
ents. Among  the  children  who  came  to  her  were  a  family  of  four  little  ones  who 
every  day  paddled  their  canoe  across  the  river  in  the  morning  and  home  again  in 
the  afternoon.3 

For  the  partial  maintenance  of  her  school  an  appropriation  was  made,  by  the 
commissioners,  from  the  public  school  fund.  Such  an  appropriation  was  possible, 
because  it  was  provided  that  a  teacher  of  a  private  school  could  receive  aid  from 
the  income  of  school  funds  by  keeping  a  record  to  be  certified  by  the  proper  school 
officers.  The  money  given  was  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  pupils,  and  the 
amount  depended  upon  the  financial  management  of  the  school  funds.  This  was 
a  plan  excellent  as  an  expedient,  because  in  the  early  days  when  neither  a  public 
fund  nor  private  provision  was  in  itself  enough  to  carry  out  a  general  school  plan, 
the  combination  of  both  was  effective.  A  law  of  1833,  it  may  be  said  in  passing, 
required  teachers  of  those  schools  which  were  partially  maintained  by  public  money 
to  give  free  instruction  to  orphans  and  children  of  those  who  could  not  pay,  if 

5  Andreas:   I,  206. 


A.   C.   HESING.    MARTIN    KIMHELL.    FUEI)    II.    ROLSCIIArSEN.    II.    \V.    SCOVILLE, 

REUBEN  TAYLOR,  GEORGE  DUNLAP.  JOHN  FORSYTII.  W.  R.  H.  GRAY,  J.  C. 

BROWN,  GEORGE  II.  ANDERSON,  CHESTER  L.  ROOT,  PETER  PAGE,  C. 

R.  FIELD,  WILLIAM  JAMES,  C.  N.  HOLDEN,  BERNIIARD  H.  BRUNS, 

ANDREW  NELSON,  H.   N.   HEALD,  FRED  BECKER,*  ALBERT 

W.   WEKER.    HENRY    N.    STEVENS,   EDWARD   PAGE, 

CHARLES  G.  SMITH,  C.  B.  SAMMONS 

*Freil   Becker,    only   one   living    (March,    1911J. 

Group  of  deputy  revenue  assessors  taken  in  1863  in  front  of  Dearborn  school,  called 
"Mlltimore's  Folly."  This  school  stood  opposite  McVicker's  theatre,  and  was  built  in 
1844  at  a  cost  of*  $7,000. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  281 

request  were  duly  made.  By  receiving  the  appropriation  from  the  school  fund, 
Miss  Chappel  became  the  first  enrolled  teacher  employed,  teaching  the  first  public 
school  in  Chicago.  Miss  Elizabeth  Beach  and  Miss  Mary  Burrows  were  her  as- 
sistants. In  order  to  enlarge  her  school  and  widen  its  field,  she  offered  induce- 
ments to  families  living  outside  the  settlement  to  send  their  daughters  to  her.  The 
school  became  a  boarding  school,  and  some  of  the  young  girls  attending  there  were 
given  a  normal  training,  as  the  demand  for  teachers  was  already  very  great.  Thus 
it  is  that  the  first  normal  training  given  in  Chicago  was  that  offered  by  Miss  Chap- 
pel.  In  1834  she  was  succeeded  as  teacher  of  this  school  by  Miss  Ruth  Leaven- 
worth,  and  the  next  year  she  married  Reverend  Jeremiah  Porter. 

In  the  same  year,  1833,  Grenville  T.  Sproat,  from  Boston,  opened  an  English 
and  Classical  school  for  boys  on  South  Water  street,  near  Franklin,  in  a  small 
building  belonging  to  the  First  Baptist  church  society.4 

Miss  Sarah  L.  Warren,  who  was  afterwards  Mrs.  Abel  E.  Carpenter,  became  an 
assistant  in  this  school,  and  in  one  of  her  letters  has  given  a  hint  of  what  physical 
hardships  were  incident  to  teaching  in  Chicago  at  that  time.  "I  boarded  at  Elder 
Freeman's.  His  house  must  have  been  situated  some  four  or  five  blocks  southeast 
of  the  school,  near  Mr.  Snow's,  with  scarce  a  house  between.  What  few  buildings 
there  were  then,  were  mostly  on  Water  street.  I  used  to  go  across  without  regard 
to  streets.  It  was  not  uncommon  in  going  to  and  from  school,  to  see  prairie  wolves, 
and  we  could  hear  them  howl  any  time  in  the  day.  We  were  frequently  annoyed  by 
Indians;  but  the  great  difficulty  we  had  to  encounter  was  mud.  No  person  now  can 
have  a  just  idea  of  what  Chicago  mud  used  to  be.  Rubbers  were  of  no  account.  I 
purchased  a  pair  of  gentlemen's  brogans,  and  fastened  them  tight  about  the  ankle, 
but  would  still  go  over  them  in  mud  and  water,  and  was  obliged  to  have  a  pair  of 
men's  boots  made."  Mr.  Sproat's  school  also  became  in  1834  a  so-called  public 
school,  by  his  application  for  public  funds. 

SALE     OF     SCHOOL     LANDS 

In  1883  there  was  a  fever  of  speculation  in  Illinois.  All  over  the  state  those 
having  school  lands  in  charge  were  selling  them  wherever  possible.  Section  sixteen 
of  the  township  in  which  Chicago  is  situated  is  that  section  of  land  bounded  on  the 
north  by  Madison  street,  on  the  south  by  Twelfth  street,  by  State  street  on  the 
east,  and  Halsted  street  on  the  west.  On  October  30  of  that  year,  and  for  five 
days  following,  there  was  a  public  sale  held  at  the  petition  of  the  voters,  who  num- 
bered less  than  one  hundred;  out  of  one  hundred  and  forty  city  blocks  of  school 
land,  all  but  four  blocks  were  sold  for  $38,619.47,  and  the  money  placed  at  ten 
per  cent  interest.  Those  blocks  remaining  for  school  use  were  block  1,  bounded  by 
W.  Madison,  Halsted,  Monroe,  and  South  Union  street  extended,  on  which  were  later 
located  the  High  and  Scammon  school  buildings ;  blocks  87  and  88,  bounded  by 
Fifth  avenue  and  the  river  and  by  Harrison  and  Polk  streets;  and  block  142,  situated 
between  Madison,  State,  Monroe  and  Dearborn  streets,  where  the  Tribune  and  other 
buildings  now  stand.  What  was  the  loss  to  the  school  fund,  caused  by  this  early 
sale  of  scores  of  blocks  in  the  heart  of  the  city  as  it  developed  later,  can  be  seen  by 
glancing  at  the  property  values  of  recent  years.  The  citizens  of  Chicago  in  1833 

4  Andreas:    I,  p.  206. 


282  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

can  hardly  be  blamed  in  this;  probably  no  dream  had  come  to  any  one  of  them  of 
the  future  importance  of  this  area  of  three-eighths  of  a  square  mile  of  low  muddy 
land,  with  here  and  there  a  scattering  of  little  cabins  and  stores,  and  with  barely 
population  enough  to  have  become  incorporated  as  a  town  two  months  before.  The 
people  were  beginning  to  realize  the  necessity  of  educating  their  children;  the  idea 
of  taxation  for  that  purpose  was  still  very  unpopular,  and  here  was  a  means  of  se- 
curing the  money,  since  there  was  some  demand  for  the  land.  The  interest  on  the 
money  obtained  by  its  sale  constituted  the  meagre  school  fund  until  the  time  when 
the  four  blocks  which  were  reserved  could  be  rented.5 

In  the  following  year,  1834,  Chicago  showed  its  growing  interest  in  school  affairs 
by  sending  three  representatives  to  an  educational  convention  held  at  Vandalia,  then 
the  capital  of  the  state.  This  interest  was  further  shown  by  a  petition  of  resi- 
dents asking  that  the  township  be  organized  for  school  purposes.  As  a  result  the 
city  was  formally  divided  into  school  districts  as  it  had  not  hitherto  been,  though 
this  division  into  districts  was  not  made  use  of  immediately,  as  the  little  town  did 
not  then  feel  the  need  of  many  schools. 

Mr.  Sproat  was  succeeded  in  the  management  of  his  school  by  Dr.  Henry  Van 
der  Bogart,  who  was  followed  by  Thomas  Wright,  and  he  in  turn  gave  up  the  school 
to  James  McClellan  in  1835.  During  that  year  Mr.  George  Davis  held  a  school  in 
Lake  street,  between  Dearborn  and  Clark  streets.  It  was  at  first  held  over  a  store, 
and  later  moved  to  the  Presbyterian  church  on  Clark  street. 

SCHOOL    DISTRICTS    FORMED 

In  1835  the  town  was  organized  into  school  districts,  a  division  which  was  of 
little  use  for  some  time,  as  the  voters  did  not  provide  for  public  schools  until  later. 
During  that  year  Mr.  John  S.  Wright  erected  at  his  own  expense  and  at  the  request 
of  his  mother  a  building  designed  especially  for  school  purposes,  the  first  of  its  kind 
in  Chicago.  Hitherto  schools  had  been  held  in  log  houses,  store  buildings,  churches 
or  upper  chambers.  This  new  school  was  located  on  Clark  street  south  of  Lake,  and 
was  built  for  Miss  Leavenworth's  infant  school.  After  she  discontinued  her  teach- 
ing in  1836,  Miss  Frances  Langdon  Willard,  with  Miss  Louisa  Gifford  as  assistant, 
opened  a  school  for  young  ladies.  A  primary  department  was  added,  it  was  made  a 
public  school,  and  finally  was  taken  by  Miss  Gifford,  who  later  married  Dr.  Dyer. 

In  1836  Mr.  John  Brown  opened  a  private  school  in  the  North  Division,  but 
was  ignominiously  beaten  by  a  pupil,  so  that  he  thankfully  sold  out  his  lease  to 
Mr.  Edward  Murphy,  who,  being  more  successful  in  his  management,  was  made  a 
public  school  teacher  by  the  school  authorities,  and  given  a  salary  of  $800  a  year. 

At  this  time  there  were  in  Chicago  three  so-called  public  schools,  and  four  pri- 
vate schools.  In  the  next  year,  with  the  granting  of  the  charter  to  the  city  came  the 
promise  of  a  new  period  in  Chicago's  school  history,  when  there  would  be  organiza- 
tion, growth  and  improvement  in  general  methods  of  teaching. 

At  the  time  of  the  incorporation  of  the  city  in  1837,  there  were  in  the  charter 
provisions  for  the  public  schools:  that  the  common  council  have  the  authority  over 
public  schools ;  that  the  city  be  divided  into  school  districts ;  that  inspectors  be  ap- 
pointed by  the  council ;  that  there  be  an  election  of  trustees  from  school  districts ; 
a  report  be  submitted  by  trustees  to  'inspectors ;  the  commissioners  of  Cook  county 

*  "The  Public  Schools  of  Chicago,"  by  Hannah  B.  Clark,  p.  50. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  283 

shall  submit  a  report  to  the  common  council  regarding  the  school  fund;  that  there 
shall  be  an  apportionment  of  the  school  fund  by  the  inspectors,  they  to  make  out 
schedule  for  amount  due  each  district;  that  this  report  be  given  to  the  common  coun- 
cil, to  be  turned  over  to  the  commissioners;  that  any  district  may  vote  for  a  high 
school  and  provide  for  it.  From  this  we  see  that  except  for  the  control  of  funds  the 
management  of  the  schools  was,  by  the  charter,  vested  in  the  common  council  of  the 
city,  who  appointed  inspectors. 

BOARD  OP  INSPECTORS  ELECTED 

On  May  12,  1837,  the  first  board  of  inspectors  was  elected  by  the  council,  and 
consisted  of  Thomas  Wright,  N.  H.  Bolles,  John  Gage,  T.  R.  Hubbard,  I.  T.  Hin- 
ton,  Francis  Payton,  G.  W.  Chadwick,  B.  Huntoon,  R.  J.  Hamilton  and  W.  H. 
Brown.  The  first  standing  school  committee  in  the  council  was  made  up  of  alder- 
men Goodhue,  Bolles,  and  Caton.  The  duties  of  the  trustees  of  each  school  district 
made  it  their  part  to  employ  the  teachers,  make  contracts,  repair  the  school  houses, 
buy  the  apparatus,  etc. ;  in  other  words,  they  were  to  do  the  business  of  the  district, 
while  everything  in  relation  to  the  public  instruction  was  referred  to  the  inspectors. 
The  latter  were  made  auditors  of  the  accounts  of  the  trustees.  The  inspectors  drew 
orders  for  money  to  be  spent,  which  was  a  convenience  of  arrangement. 

A  quarterly  report  in  1837  showed  four  hundred  pupils  enrolled  in  school  in 
Chicago,  for  whom  there  were  five  teachers.  From  that  time  until  1840  records  were 
so  irregularly  kept,  school  districts  so  ill  defined,  and  the  general  management  of 
the  school  of  the  city  so  lacking  in  uniformity,  that  little  can  be  definitely  learned 
of  conditions.6 

In  1838  there  was  a  general  feeling  throughout  the  country  in  favor  of  education, 
which  in  Chicago  had  expression  in  a  report  on  common  schools,  made  to  the  council 
by  a  special  committee,  in  which  an  effort  was  made  to  show  the  conditions  in  Chi- 
cago, to  explain  the  lack  of  attention  given  to  the  cause  of  education  there,  and  to 
suggest  improvements.  As  the  report  is  a  most  intelligent  comment  upon  the  progress 
that  had  been  made  and  the  popular  feeling  that  existed  at  the  time  of  its  writing 
regarding  public  education,  its  contents  will  be  suggested.7 

SUGGESTIONS    FOR    IMPROVEMENTS    IN    SCHOOL    ADMINISTRATION 

The  first  evil  named  is  the  fact  that  the  number  of  children  attending  school  was 
small  compared  with  the  number  entitled  to  do  so.  The  census  of  1837  showed  838 
children  between  the  ages  of  five  and  twenty-one.  But  300  to  325  attended  school 
at  any  time  during  the  year,  and  these  only  about  one-fourth  of  the  year.  The  evil 
was  increasing,  and  at  intervals  many  of  the  schools  were  closed,  sometimes  only  one 
being  open.  In  connection  with  this  the  question  of  compulsory  education  was  raised, 
with  the  objection  that  "the  spirit  of  our  institutions  and  the  strong  current  of  our 
prejudices  present  almost  insuperable  obstacles  to  what  seems  an  arbitrary  interfer- 
ence with  domestic  rights  and  duties."  Still,  it  was  advised  that  the  magistrates  of 
the  city  be  intrusted  with  greater  powers  concerning  the  improvement  of  the  schools. 

6  Andreas:  I,  209. 

7  Report  on  Common  Schools,  1838. 


284  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

Another  evil  tending  to  discourage  attendance  at  school  was  the  want  of  suitable 
huildings  and  furniture,  which  had  a  tendency  to  foster  diseases  on  account  of  inade- 
quate heating,  lighting  and  ventilation,  and  to  cause  disorder  and  confusion  from 
overcrowding.  It  was  naively  said  that  there  "ought  to  be  provided  in  each  district 
a  building  of  sufficient  dimensions  to  accommodate  forty  or  fifty  scholars  comfort- 
ably and  pleasantly."  The  committee  advised  a  division  of  pupils  in  regard  to  age 
and  sex,  in  accord  with  the  views  at  that  time  popular  in  the  East. 

The  third  evil  mentioned  was  the  want  of  uniformity  in  books  and  methods,  a 
thing  distracting  to  the  teacher.  It  was  pointed  out  that  with  existing  laws,  the 
whole  system  depended  on  the  whim  of  those  to  whom  its  interests  were  indifferent, 
and  that  education  should  be  made  permanent  and  continuous  and  be  put  out  of  the 
reach  of  contingency.  Recommendations  were  made  that  the  laws  regulating  the 
school  fund  be  organized ;  that  the  funds  be  safely  invested,  instead  of  being  distrib- 
uted in  precarious  loans ;  that  salaries  to  teachers  be  made  ample  enough  to  secure 
good  instructors.  It  was  insisted  that  education  should  be  a  matter  of  common,  not 
individual,  interest.  The  general  feeling  that  lasted  for  many  years  in  Chicago,  and 
which  retarded  the  development  of  a  free  school  system,  was  expressed  by  a  voter 
in  that  city  as  late  as  1868,  when  he  said,  "Why  should  I  be  taxed  to  educate  an- 
other man's  children  more  than  to  clothe  them?  It  is  as  just  for  me  to  clothe  them 
as  to  educate  them." 

In  1839  the  school  inspectors  resolved  to  lease  for  five  years  blocks  1,  87,  88  and 
142,  the  only  land  remaining  to  the  schools.  They  reserved  only  in  block  142  the 
lot  "on  which  the  old  District  School  House  is  situated,"  on  the  southeast  corner  of 
Madison  and  Dearborn  streets,  the  only  school  building  then  belonging  to  the  city, 
which  had  been  put  up  in  1836  for  temporary  use  until  a  permanent  school  house 
could  be  built.8 

The  four  private  schools  of  that  time  must  here  be  mentioned :  the  school  con- 
ducted by  Rev.  I.  T.  Hinton,  where  a  polite  and  instructive  course  of  study  was 
offered  to  young  ladies;  Miss  Carr's  school,  also  for  young  ladies,  and  the  schools 
of  Miss  Prayton  and  Miss  Dodge. 

ORDER  AND  SYSTEM   INTRODUCED 

The  charter  of  1837  had  provided  for  a  reorganization  of  the  school  system,  and 
in  1840  an  immense  improvement  was  effected.  In  this  year  written  records  of  school 
inspectors  commenced;  school  affairs  began  to  be  more  regularly  attended  to,  and 
buildings  or  rooms  were  put  in  order  for  immediate  occupancy.  Soon  there  was 
uniformity  in  the  text  books  used  in  the  different  schools,  when  the  inspectors  adopted 
Worcester's  Primer,  Parley's  First,  Second  and  Third  books  of  History,  and  an  Ele- 
mentary Speller.  The  buildings  used  were  the  old  District  School  House  mentioned 
before,  a  building  on  the  north  side  of  Randolph  street,  near  Franklin  street,  in 
District  2,  which  was  that  part  of  the  South  Division  between  Clark  street  and  the 
South  Branch  of  the  river;  one  on  the  north  side  of  West  Monroe  street,  near  Canal 
street,  in  District  3,  which  was  that  division  west  of  the  river;  on  the  North  Side, 
District  4,  was  a  building  at  the  corner  of  Cass  and  Kinzie  streets.  At  this  time 
William  H.  Brown  was  made  school  agent,  and  the  charge  of  the  school  fund  was 
transferred  from  the  commissioner  of  school  lands  for  Cook  county  to  Mr.  Brown, 

8  Andreas:   I,  210. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  285 

who  held  his  position  for  thirteen  years,  receiving  no  pay  during  ten  years  of  that 
time. 

RULES    ADOPTED 

In  November,  1840,  it  was  recommended  by  the  inspectors  that  "in  view  of  the 
necessities  of  the  children,  the  trustees  of  each  district  be  directed  to  procure  imme- 
diately rooms  in  which  to  hold  schools,  and  take  all  necessary  steps  to  put  the  schools 
in  operation,  also  that  a  tax  of  one  mill  be  levied  for  the  support  of  schools."  A 
more  lively  interest  was  aroused  in  behalf  of  the  public  schools,  and  by  1841  the 
following  regulations  providing  for  greater  order  in  the  school  system  were  adopted: 

"The  school  year  commences  on  the  first  Monday  in  January,  and  is  divided  into 
four  quarters  of  twelve  weeks  each. 

"At  the  end  of  each  quarter,  there  is  a  vacation  of  one  week. 

"Schools  will  be  kept  on  each  day  of  the  week  except  Sunday,  beginning  in  the 
morning  at  9  o'clock,  and  ending  at  12  M;  and  in  the  afternoon,  beginning  at  half 
past  1  o'clock,  and  ending  at  half  past  4.  Saturday  afternoon  is  an  exception  from 
this  regulation,  it  being  a  holiday. 

"It  is  expected  there  will  be  a  recess  of  a  few  minutes  each  half-day,  or  some 
other  equivalent  allowed  by  the  teacher. 

"The  first  exercise  of  the  morning  will  be  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures — the 
teacher  will  commence  by  reading  one  verse,  and  then  each  scholar  in  school  who 
can  read  sufficiently  well  will  read  a  verse,  until  all  have  read.  No  explanations  of 
the  meaning  of  the  Scriptures  must  be  given;  but  the  teacher  will  require  the  whole 
school  to  pay  implicit  and  exclusive  attention  to  the  reading  until  it  is  finished. 

"The  teachers  will  require  cleanliness  in  the  person  of  the  scholars.  This  reg- 
ulation must  be  rigidly  enforced.  Those  scholars  must  be  sent  home  who  manifest  a 
disregard  of  it. 

"The  following  text-books  have  been  adopted,  and  will  hereafter  be  used:  Pic- 
torial Spelling  Book,  Worcester's  Primer,  Worcester's  Second,  Third  and  Fourth 
Books  for  Reading  and  Spelling,  Worcester's  Elementary  Dictionary,  Frost's  Ele- 
ments of  English  Grammar,  Parker's  Progressive  Exercises  in  Composition,  Green- 
leaf's  National  Arithmetic,  Child's  Arithmetic,  Woodbridge's  School  Geography  and 
Atlas,  Parley's  Geography,  Parley's  First,  Second  and  Third  Books  of  History, 
and  Bailey's  Algebra. 

"No  books  except  those  prescribed  by  the  Inspectors  will  be  permitted  to  be 
used  in  the  schools  after  the  books  prescribed  can  be  obtained.  Until  that  time  the 
books  which  the  scholars  now  have  can  be  used,  but  no  new  books  are  to  be  purchased 
except  such  as  are  approved  by  the  Inspectors. 

"At  the  end  of  each  month  the  teachers  of  the  respective  schools  will  make  sched- 
ules of  the  names  of  all  the  scholars  in  attendance  on  each  day  and  half  day,  the1 
number  engaged  in  the  different  studies,  and  the  average  in  attendance  each  week 
and  each  month,  together  with  a  statement  of  the  largest  and  smallest  number  in 
attendance  at  any  one  day  during  the  month." 

Further  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  schools  of  that  time  may  be  gained  from  a  re- 
port of  the  school  inspectors  in  June,  1841,  stating  that  for  the  four  months  ending 
in  March  there  had  been  spent  for  teachers,  $563.32 ;  $520.94  for  fuel,  rent  of  school 


286  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

houses,  repairs,  etc. ;  that  upon  the  present  plan  it  would  be  necessary  to  have 
$1800  to  pay  the  teachers  for  one  year;  there  must  be  a  tax  of  one-tenth  of  one  per 
cent  on  all  taxable  property  in  the  city.  There  were  in  the  county  in  1840,  4693 
white  persons  under  twenty  years  of  age;  in  the  city,  2109;  the  county  was  receiving 
$700  from  the  School,  College  and  Seminary  fund,  $300  of  which  the  city  was  en- 
titled to.  The  tax  just  referred  to  of  one  mill  on  all  taxable  property  in  the  city 
was  the  first  one  imposed  in  Chicago  for  school  purposes,  as  hitherto  the  people  had 
voted  against  the  free  school  system.  In  this  year  it  was  also  suggested  that  a  high 
school  be  established  to  meet  the  needs  of  those  pupils  who  were  old  enough  to  do 
more  advanced  work.  Lack  of  the  necessary  means  made  it  impossible  to  start  such 
a  school  at  that  time,  though  the  suggestion  was  carried  out  in  later  years. 

Instruction  in  vocal  music  was  first  given  in  the  public  schools  in  1841  by  Mr. 
N.  Gilbert,  and  was  continued  intermittently  thenceforth  at  such  times  as  the  com- 
mon council  found  it  possible  to  appropriate  the  money.  A  few  years  later  the  posi- 
tion of  teacher  of  vocal  music  in  the  public  schools  was  given  to  Mr.  Frank  Lum- 
bard,  who,  with  his  brother,  is  remembered  as  a  singer  of  war  songs  during  the  Civil 
War.  The  salary  of  the  first  teacher  was  sixteen  dollars  a  month ;  in  1 864  the  an- 
nual salary  of  the  music  teacher  was  fourteen  hundred  dollars;  by  that  time  music 
had  become  a  permanent  study  and  a  graded  course  was  arranged^  the  special  teacher 
to  supervise  the  regular  teachers,  who  gave  the  class  instruction  under  his  general 
direction. 

A  German  school  was  begun  in  1842  in  the  North  Division  of  the  city,  on  Green 
Bay  Road,  now  Rush  street,  near  Chicago  avenue,  to  be  maintained  in  a  building 
bought  from  the  city  by  Michael  Diversey  and  Peter  Gabel. 

A    NEW    PUBLIC    SCHOOL    BUILDING 

In  .1844  the  first  step  was  taken  toward  erecting  a  permanent  school  building  in 
school  district  1,  to  be  located  on  Madison  street,  on  the  site  of  the  present  Boston 
Store.  By  this  time  the  demand  of  the  residents  in  this  district  for  a  new  school  build- 
ing had  become  so  strong  that  it  seemed  very  probable  that  the  necessary  taxes 
could  be  collected.  The  only  building  owned  by  the  city  hitherto  was  the  old  Dis- 
trict School  House,  built  in  1836  for  temporary  use  until  such  time  as  funds  might 
be  obtained  for  a  permanent  building.  This  old  school  building  was  sold  for  forty 
dollars.  The  new  building  was  made  of  brick,  was  two  stories  high,  and  cost  seven- 
ty-five hundred  dollars.  It  was  supposed  by  many  to  be  so  large  as  to  be  far  be- 
yond the  needs  of  the  city.  For  this  reason,  and  because  Ira  Miltimore  had  done 
much  to  secure  the  building,  it  was  called  "Miltimore's  Folly."  Hon.  Augustus  Gar- 
rett,  the  mayor,  recommended  that  it  be  sold  or  used  for  an  insane  asylum.  The 
new  building  was  called  School  Number  1  until  1858,  when  the  name  Dearborn 
school  was  given  it.  Districts  1  and  2  were  both  accommodated  in  this  building. 
The  principal  was  Austin  D.  Sturtevant,  a  man  who  was  among  the  best  of  the 
public  school  teachers  hitherto  employed  in  the  city — an  excellent  teacher,  and  one 
who  understood  his  pupils  and  commanded  their  respect.  His  assistants  were  Lucia 
A.  Garvin  and  Martha  Durant;  during  the  next  two  years  Margaret  A.  Clarkson 
and  Anna  Day  were  also  employed.  At  the  end  of  the  third  year  there  were  864 
pupils,  a  number  which  already  justified  the  space  in  the  new  school.  The  Dear- 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  287 

born  school  building  stood  until  the  summer  of  1871,  when  the  lot  on  which  it  was 
located  was  leased  by  the  Common  Council  to  Rand,  McNally  and  Company,  and 
the  building  torn  down.  The  school  was  continued,  under  the  charge  of  Alice  L. 
Barnard  as  principal,  in  Johnson  Hall,  situated  on  Wabash  avenue  near  Monroe 
street,  until  the  Great  Fire,  when  the  organization  of  the  Dearborn  school  ceased 
to  exist. 

During  1844  school  conventions  were  held  in  many  towns  in  Illinois.  In  Oc- 
tober there  was  a  convention  in  Chicago,  at  which  delegates  were  chosen  to  attend 
a  general  convention  at  Springfield.  At  the  meeting  in  Springfield  the  plan  for 
holding  teachers'  institutes  was  formed.  9  All  these  meetings  were  a  part  of  the 
educational  campaign  which  was  at  the  same  time  arousing  an  intelligent  interest  in 
the  public  regarding  schools,  and  broadening  and  strengthening  the  work  of  teachers, 
who  were  bound  more  closely  together  in  their  common  aims. 

In  the  early  years  of  the  school  history  the  principals  of  schools  were  men, 
and  the  assistants  usually  women.  In  1845  the  maximum  for  the  salary  of  male 
school  teachers  was  raised  from  $400  to  $500  per  annum,  and  that  of  female  teach- 
ers from  $200  to  $250.  Men  were  paid,  in  1851,  "according  to  their  success  and 
the  number  of  scholars,"  according  to  an  ordinance  of  that  year.  Primary  teachers 
were  paid  an  annual  salary  of  $150. 

NEED    OF    OTHER    SCHOOL    BUILDINGS 

In  the  same  year  (1845)  plans  were  begun  to  erect  a  permanent  school  building 
in  district  4    (North   Division),  made   necessary   by   the  school  conditions   in   the  ' 
North  and  West  Divisions,  described  in  a  report  of  the  committee  on  schools,  re- 
garding the  need  of  new  buildings: 

"The  schools  in  District  No.  4  are  held  in  very  inconvenient  rooms:  one  in  a 
building  originally  designed  for  mercantile  purposes,  on  the  corner  of  Cass  and 
Kinzie  streets,  which  might  comfortably  accommodate  a  school  of  50  children,  in- 
stead of  from  100  to  120  scholars — the  number  usually  attending.  The  story  is  very 
low,  and  the  room  so  illy  ventilated  that  its  foul  atmosphere  is  plainly  apparent; 
its  dimensions  are  so  contracted  that  scholars  cannot  move  from  their  places  without 
disturbing  their  fellows,  and  scarcely  any  space  can  be  found  for  the  formation 
of  classes  at  their  recitations.  The  same  objections  apply  to  the  room  used  in  the 
basement  of  the  Episcopal  church,  with  the  further  and  weighty  one  that  after  a 
period  of  wet  weather  the  room  becomes  unhealthy  for  scholars  and  teachers  from 
dampness.  The  number  of  scholars  in  this  school  is  151.  The  third  school  in  this 
District  is  kept  in  the  school  house  erected  in  the  Dutch  Settlement,  and  is  fully 
as  large  and  airy  as  the  school  requires. 

"The  building  occupied  for  schools  in  the  Third  Ward  is  wholly  unfit  for  the 
purposes  for  which  it  is  used — less  commodious  and  convenient,  if  possible,  than 
those  in  the  Sixth  Ward.  One  of  these  schools  occupies  the  lower  story  and  the 
other  the  attic  of  a  story  and  a  half  house  with  light  from  the  gable  ends  only,  and 
in  the  summer,  from  its  proximity  to  the  roof,  is  uncomfortably  warm. 

"The  furniture  of  all  these  rooms,  the  desks  and  benches,  are  as  unfit  for  the 

0  Andreas:   I,  212. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

purposes  of  education  as  the  rooms  in  which  they  are  placed;  and  the  whole  con- 
trasted with  a  building  erected  and  furnished  for  schools  is  well  calculated  to  create 
in  the  minds  of  children,  a  disgust  for  the  school  room,  and  make  the  acquisition  of 
knowledge  an  irksome,  as  well  as  a  difficult  task." 

NEW    BUILDINGS    ON    NORTH    AND    WEST    SIDES 

This  report  preceded  proposals  for  building  the  school  at  the  corner  of  Ohio 
and  North  La  Salle  streets,  which  succeeded  the  school  started  three  years  before  in 
"the  Dutch  settlement,"  a  district,  so  called,  north  of  Chicago  avenue  and  east  of 
North  Clark  street.  The  school  was  built  in  1845  at  a  cost  of  four  thousand 
dollars.  A  new  and  permanent  school  building  for  the  West  Division,  costing 
$6795,  followed  soon  after,  located  on  the  south  side  of  Madison  street,  just  east 
of  Halsted,  and  named  the  Scammon  school,  in  honor  of  J.  Young  Scammon,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  first  board  of  school  inspectors. 

In  1846  an  ordinance  was  passed  directing  the  board  of  inspectors  to  have  all 
its  proceedings  published  in  whatever  city  papers  would  publish  them  gratis.  The 
same  order  regulated  the  duties  of  trustees  and  inspectors.  The  trustees  by  this 
new  ordinance  were  given  the  care  of  the  school  property  and  were  responsible  for 
its  proper  preservation;  they  were  to  recommend  necessary  repairs  and  purchases 
of  fuel,  apparatus,  etc.  They  were  not,  however,  allowed,  as  hitherto,  to  contract 
and  pay  for  the  same,  or  incur  any  expenses,  save  for  fuel  and  water.  The  bills 
were  to  be  audited  by  the  council  and  paid  from  the  school  tax  fund.  The  in- 
'  spectors'  duties  were  also  limited,  so  that  they  could  not  fix  the  salaries  of  teachers, 
nor  cause  any  expenditures  from  the  school  fund,  except  for  salaries  of  teachers 
already  fixed;  all  bills  were  to  be  referred  to  the  Council.  The  inspectors  could 
recommend  alterations  and  additions  to  school  property.  The  powers  given  the 
trustees  by  the  charter  of  1837  were  thus  limited  by  this  ordinance  to  recommenda- 
tion of  financial  dealings,  whereas  before  they  had  the  initiative  in  such  matters. 
In  1857  the  charter  was  amended,  abolishing  the  board  of  trustees,  and  increasing 
the  number  of  inspectors  to  fifteen.  The  name  of  the  board  of  inspectors  was  then 
changed  to  that  of  board  of  education.  Thus  the  decentralized  system  which  existed 
while  trustees  were  elected  from  districts  and  divided  the  management  of  schools 
with  the  inspectors,  was  abolished,  and  in  its  place  a  centralized  system  was  es- 
tablished. 

In  1847  the  school  fund  was  increased  by  $68,000  by  what  was  known  as  the 
Wharfing  Lot  fund,  obtained  from  the  city's  settlement  concerning  the  wharfing 
privileges.  It  was  given  into  the  charge  of  the  agent  of  the  school  fund,  to  be 
loaned  out  as  was  the  original  fund.  Further,  the  lots  which  were  given  to  the 
city  by  the  state  for  school  purposes  were  at  this  time  sold  or  leased. 

TEN  YEARS'  PROGRESS 

A  paragraph  from  the  report  of  the  school  inspectors  for  1849  shows  what  the 
improvement  in  school  affairs  during  the  last  decade  had  been:  "Since  the  or- 
ganization of  our  Public  Schools  in  the  autumn  of  1840,  there  has  been  a  change 
unparalleled  in  the  school  history  of  any  western  city.  Then  a  few  miserably  clad 
children,  unwashed  and  uncombed,  were  huddled  into  small,  uncleanly  and  unven- 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  289 

tilated  apartments,  seated  upon  uncomfortable  benches  and  taught  by  listless  and 
inefficient  tutors,  who  began  their  daily  avocations  with  dread,  and  completed  what 
they  considered  their  unpleasant  duties  with  pleasure.  Now  the  school  reports  of 
the  Township  show  the  names  of  nearly  2000  pupils,  two-thirds  of  whom  are  in 
daily  attendance  in  spacious,  ventilated,  well-regulated  school  rooms,  where  they 
are  taught  by  those  whose  duty  is  their  pleasure.  The  scholars  are  neat  in  person 
and  orderly  in  behavior,  and  by  the  excellent  course  of  moral  and  mental  training 
which  they  receive  are  being  prepared  to  become  good  citizens,  an  honor  to  the 
City  and  State." 

Plans  were  made  the  next  year  for  a  building  in  the  southern  part  of  the  city, 
which  was  soon  completed  at  a  cost  of  $6795,  and  known  as  the  Jones  school, 
situated  at  the  corner  of  Wabash  avenue  and  Twelfth  street. 

The  improved  general  conditions  in  Chicago  were  but  an  expression  of  the  pro- 
gress in  educational  matters  that  was  noticeable  in  many  of  the  settled  districts  of 
the  country.  A  digression  here  may  be  permitted  in  order  to  indicate  a  movement 
which  had  its  marked  effect  on  Chicago. 

MISS   CATHARINE   E.   BEECHER's   WORK 

Owing  to  the  efforts  of  Miss  Catharine  E.  Beecher,  who  for  many  years  during 
the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  had  devoted  her  energies  to  the  cause  of  the 
higher  education  of  women,  a  movement  was  started  to  organize  women  of  all  re- 
ligious denominations,  prepare  them  as  teachers  and  send  them  to  the  destitute  sec- 
tions of  the  West  and  South.10  To  this  end  Miss  Beecher  organized  committees  of 
women  in  the  Eastern  cities  to  cooperate  with  her  in  the  work  "of  training  woman 
for  her  true  profession  as  educator  and  chief  minister  of  the  family  state,  and  to  se- 
cure to  her  the  honor  and  pecuniary  reward  which  men  gain  in  their  profession." 
Miss  Beecher  wrote  letters  to  men  of  influence  to  ask  their  advice  regarding  this 
movement,  and  finally  secured  the  cooperation  of  ex-Governor  Slade  of  Vermont, 
who  offered  to  undertake  the  work  of  transferring  to  the  West  teachers  already  pre- 
pared, and  organized  at  Cleveland  the  Board  of  National  Popular  Education,  having 
for  its  object  the  starting  and  maintaining  of  schools  in  settlements  in  the  new  coun- 
try, which  without  its  help  would  not  be  provided  with  teachers. 

Miss  Beecher,  knowing  the  difficulties  to  be  encountered  by  pioneer  teachers, 
proposed  "that  before  they  were  sent  out  they  should  meet  in  some  place  for  a 
month  to  hear  lectures,  and  visit  classes  in  some  normal  school."  Of  the  three  hun- 
dred young  women  first  recommended  to  her  by  ministers  in  the  East  to  whom  she 
had  appealed,  a  class  of  thirty  or  forty  was  made  up,  prepared  and  sent  out.  In 
spite  of  Miss  Beecher's  plans-  and  efforts  to  secure  proper  accommodation  for  the 
teachers  on  their  arrival  in  strange  places,  provision  had  not  been  made  by  those 
having  this  part  of  the  work  in  charge,  and  thence  arose  great  hardships  to  the 
young  women  from  lack  of  money,  few  or  no  comforts,  dangerous  risks  to  health, 
squalid  homes,  where  they  sometimes  were  forced  to  live  and  sleep  in  the  small 
cabin  which  housed,  besides,  a  family  with  not  too  wholesome  habits.  There  were 
some  communities  willing  and  able  to  support  teachers,  which  were  so  divided  by 

10  Catharine  E.  Beecher:   "Educational  Reminiscences,"  pp.  100  et  seq. 
Tol.  1—19 


290  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

personal  or  sectarian  jealousies  that  union  for  a  common  good  was  impossible; 
other  places  had  become  so  discouraged  from  their  experiences  with  incompetent 
teachers  making  high  pretensions  that  there  was  an  attitude  of  distrust  toward  the 
good  teachers  who  might  follow.  Though  beset  with  these  and  numberless  other 
difficulties,  the  supporters  of  education  continued  their  efforts,  young  women  volun- 
teering their  services,  and  classes  being  constantly  prepared  and  sent  forth  from  the 
East.  An  extract  from  a  letter  to  Miss  Beecher  from  one  member  of  her  first  class 
is  impressive.  After  writing  of  the  suspicion  with  which  she  was  at  first  regarded 
by  the  ignorant  settlers,  their  reluctant  support  of  her  when  she  first  came,  and  the 
godlessness  of  the  place,  she  continues,  "My  greatest  trials  here  are  the  want  of 
religious  privileges,  the  difficulty  of  sending  to  the  distant  postoffice,  the  entire  want 
of  social  sympathy,  and  the  manner  in  which  I  am  obliged  to  live.  I  board  where 
there  are  eight  children  and  the  parents,  and  only  two  rooms  in  the  house.  I  must 
do  as  the  family  do  about  washing,  as  there  is  but  one  basin  and  no  place  to  go  to 
wash  but  out  the  door.  I  have  not  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  either  lamp  or  candle,  their 
only  light  being  a  cup  of  greese  with  a  rag  for  a  wick.  Evening  is  my  only  time 
to  write,  and  this  kind  of  light  makes  such  a  disagreeable  smoke  and  smell  I  cannot 
bear  it,  and  do  without  light  except  the  fire.  I  occupy  a  room  with  three  of  the 
children  and  a  niece  who  boards  here.  The  other  room  serves  as  a  kitchen,  parlor, 
and  bedroom  for  the  rest  of  the  family. 

"I  have  read  your  'Domestic  Economy'  through  to  the  family,  one  chapter  a 
day.  They  like  it,  and  have  adopted  some  of  your  suggestions  in  regard  both  to 
order  and  to  health.  They  used  to  drink  coffee  three  times  a  day.  Now  they  use 
it  only  once  a  day.  Their  bread  used  to  be  heavy  and  half-baked,  but  I  made  yeast 
by  the  receipt  in  your  book,  and  thus  made  some  good  bread.  They  were  much  pleased 
with  it,  and  I  have  made  such  ever  since." 

The  letter  ends  with  an  account  of  the  improved  behavior  of  the  children,  the 
satisfaction  and  confidence  felt  by  the  parents,  and  the  expression  of  a  hope  that 
these  labors  will  be  blessed  with  good  results,  even  though  pleasure,  wealth  and  'fame 
do  not  accompany  them. 

The  missionary  character  of  the  work  must  always  be  remembered.  The  teach- 
ers were  gathered  from  congregations  in  the  East  whose  pastors  had  preached  of 
the  self  sacrifice  and  devotion  necessary  in  the  field  that  was  calling  for  workers. 
The  meagre  salaries  that  were  given,  sometimes  indeed  being  altogether  unpaid, 
were  no  compensation  for  the  loneliness  and  misery  and  privation  suffered  by  too 
many  who  had  gone  forth  filled  with  enthusiasm  and  urged  by  the  demands  of  their 
religion.  If  love  of  novelty  and  adventure  had  prompted  any  to  volunteer  to  teach 
in  strange  regions,  there  was  need  for  more  sturdy  qualities  than  these  to  endure 
and  cope  with  the  rough  conditions. 

EXPERIENCES   OF    MISS    HARRIET    N.    BURNS 

A  letter  written  in  1900  to  the  author  by  Mrs.  H.  N.  Emerson  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, who  was  formerly  Miss  Harriet  N.  Burns,  is  of  local  interest.  "Dear  Sir: 
I  went  to  Chicago  with  the  first  class  of  teachers  sent  out  by  Gov.  William  Slade 
of  Vermont,  in  1847.  We  went  to  Boston,  thence  to  Albany,  where  we  stopped 
in  families  who  volunteered  to  receive  us,  and  we  were  given  lessons  in  different 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  291 

branches  by  several  teachers,  Miss  Catharine  Beecher  the  principal  one  (older 
sister  of  Harriet  B.  Stowe)  ;  another,  Miss  Bacon,  sister  of  Dr.  Leonard  Bacon. 
Miss  Beecher  gave  instruction  in  regard  to  health  and  climate,  how  to  preserve  the 
former  and  to  resist  exposure  to  the  latter.  In  Albany  we  stopped  about  three 
weeks;  then  started  to  Schenectady  thence  by  packet  on  the  Erie  canal,  to  Buffalo. 
(In  Albany  I  stopped  with  a  Mr.  Richard  Ainsley,  a  dealer  in  looking  glasses,  etc., 
who  went  to  Chicago  the  same  summer  and  opened  a  store,  and  came  out  to  see  me 
at  Gross  Point.) 

"From  Buffalo  we  took  a  steamer,  the  Hendrick  Hudson,  and  sailed  by  the 
straits  of  Mackinac. 

"In  Chicago  we  were  received,  as  in  Albany,  into  families,  until  schools  were 
found  and  assigned  to  us.  I  with  another  teacher  stopped  with  a  Mr.  George 
Manierre,  a  young  lawyer. 

"Those  on  the  committee  to  assign  schools  were,  as  I  remember,  J.  Y.  Scammon, 
Dr.  Boone,  Mr.  Meeker,  Dr.  Kimberly  and  the  Mr.  Manierre  named  above.  When 
I  visited  Chicago  in  '93  I  called  on  his  son,  who  told  me  he  was  in  the  cradle  at 
that  time. 

"In  June  I  commenced  to  teach,  at  Gross  Point,  in  a  log  schoolhouse  near  the 
lake  shore,  so  near  the  names  of  steamers  passing  could  sometimes  be  seen.  I 
boarded  with  Mr.  Philo  Colvin,  who  lived  in  a  frame  house  near  by. 

"There  was  no  preaching  nearer  than  Chicago,  except  occasionally  by  the 
Methodists,  and  a  class  leader  named  Huntoon,  who  met  at  the  schoolhouse,  and 
we  had  a  Sunday  school,  Mrs.  James  Colvin  and  myself  teaching,  Mr.  H.  acting 
as  superintendent  and  librarian.  Mr.  Albert  Colvin,  son  of  Mr.  James  Colvin,  is 
now  living  [in]  Chicago,  as  I  believe.  Very  truly  yours, 

"H.   N.   EMERSON." 

MOVEMENT    TO    ESTABLISH    HIGH    SCHOOLS 

Better  than  sending  teachers  from  the  East  to  the  South  and  West,  was  the 
movement  that  was  made  to  establish  high  schools  at  central  points  in  the  West, 
having  a  department  for  normal  training  attached.  The  advantages  thus  gained 
were  numerous:  these  schools  were  so  located  as  to  have  a  sufficiently  large  popula- 
tion to  draw  on  for  attendance;  there  was  small  expense  to  the  students,  since  they 
need  not  be  wholly  cared  for  at  the  school,  having  homes  near  by;  the  growing 
demand  for  teachers  in  the  immediate  vicinity  was  supplied  from  these  schools; 
the  spirit  of  education  was  fostered  in  the  West,  and  the  demand  for  schools  and 
teachers  thereby  greatly  increased.  This  movement  was  avowedly  in  great  part 
one  to  raise  the  standard  of  women's  education,  and  was  an  effort  toward  secur- 
ing "permanency  to  female  institutions  in  the  West,  and  thoroughness  to  female 
education  there,  so  that  all  women  as  a  general  rule  would  be  fitted  to  become 
teachers,  either  to  their  own  children  or  in  regular  schools." 

From  these  efforts  resulted  not  only  wider  education  for  the  women  of  the 
West,  who  with  proper  training  were  just  as  well  fitted  as  Eastern  women  to  be- 
come good  teachers,  but  there  was  an  advantage  in  having  established  normal  schools 
in  the  West,  to  which  those  in  the  vicinity  who  were  looking  for  teachers  could 
apply,  seeing  and  talking  with  the  students,  and  so  eliminating  many  chances  of 
the  disappointment  that  often  resulted  from  engaging  a  teacher  by  letter. 


292  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

While  Chicago's  educational  problems  were  in  many  respects  different  from 
those  just  described,  still  the  connection  between  the  development  of  schools  there 
and  that  in  other  places  was  a  close  one.  There  was  in  Chicago  the  same  oppo- 
sition to  a  school  system  supported  by  taxation  which  existed  generally  through- 
out the  West  and  South,  and  the  increased  interest  in  education  which,  aroused  by 
such  leaders  as  Miss  Beecher,  brought  school  teachers  to  many  a  desolate  settle- 
ment remote  from  the  town,  manifested  itself  in  Chicago  in  reorganization  of  the 
school  system,  building  of  schoolhouses  to  be  owned  by  the  city,  and  a  closer  at- 
tention to  school  management. 

CHANGES    IN    SCHOOL    TERMS 

To  resume  the  narrative  of  the  Chicago  schools:  Upon  petition  of  the  teachers 
in  1850,  a  change  in  the  school  term  was  made  after  the  passing  of  the  following 
order:  "That  the  first  vacation  in  the  Common  Schools  in  the  city  shall  hereafter 
commence  with  the  last  Saturday  in  June,  and  continue  till  the  first  Monday  in 
August  of  each  year;  that  the  second  vacation  be  the  week  of  the  Christmas  Holi- 
days." The  school  week  also  was  then  changed  so  that  school  was  held  for  five 
days,  Saturday  morning  to  be  used  for  a  Teachers'  Institute.  Later,  in  1856,  the 
summer  vacation  was  lengthened  to  a  period  of  about  six  weeks.  The  Teachers' 
Institute  was  ordered  by  the  Council  probably  as  a  result  of  the  plans  suggested 
in  the  first  state  convention  held  at  Springfield  five  years  before,  to  serve  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  the  normal  training  which  many  of  the  teachers  lacked.  It  has  con- 
tinued, with  changes  and  additions,  to  the  present  day. 

An  ordinance  passed  in  1851  assured  at  least  one  public  school  in  each  district; 
two  years  later  the  records  show  a  population  in  Chicago  of  59,130,  an  enrollment 
of  3,000  pupils,  and  a  cost  of  $12,129  for  maintaining  the  schools  for  the  year. 
This  growth  in  work  and  responsibility,  as  well  as  the  increased  need  of  central 
organization  to  take  the  place  of  local  organization,  caused  the  board  of  school 
inspectors  to  consider,  in  1853,  the  expediency  of  appointing  a  superintendent  of 
public  schools;  to  this  end  they  drew  up  a  resolution  which  bore  fruit  in  an  ordi- 
nance passed  later  in  the  same  year  by  the  Common  Council,  creating  the  office 
of  Superintendent  of  Schools.  The  growing  prosperity  of  the  city  at  this  time, 
and  the  increased  population,  both  a  result  of  the  building  of  railroads  and  the 
opening  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal,  created  a  civic  pride  that  demanded 
improved  institutions,  as  well  as  larger  factories  and  stores. 

FIRST  SCHOOL   SUPERINTENDENT 

In  the  spring  of  1854  the  board  of  inspectors  elected  to  the  position  of  superin- 
tendent of  schools  John  C.  Dore,  principal  of  the  Boylston  Grammar  School  of 
Boston.  When  the  office  of  Superintendent  of  Schools  was  created,  the  enrollment 
of  pupils  was  about  3,000,  and  the  number  of  teachers  thirty-five. 

Mr.  Dore,  in  his  first  report,  called  attention  to  those  conditions  in  the  schools 
which  were  unsatisfactory,  and  which  could  be  improved.  He  pointed  out  that 
there  was  not  a  general  city  school  system,  the  pupils  were  unclassified,  there  was 
no  registration  of  attendance,  promotions  were  not  made  with  reference  either 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  293 

to  age  or  examination,  the  studies  of  grammar  and  arithmetic  were  much  neglected, 
as  much  time  was  devoted  to  going  to  and  from  recitations  as  in  actual  classwork, 
and  there  was  little  interest  shown  by  the  teachers  in  the  Teachers'  Institute.  Mr. 
Dore  soon  remedied  these  evils,  by  organizing  divisions,  examining  pupils  and  as- 
signing them  to  their  proper  grades,  and  insisting  on  the  use  of  uniform  textbooks 
throughout  the  schools.  He  recommended,  besides,  that  a  high  school  be  started 
in  the  city.  There  were  at  this  time  seven  schools,  which  were  so  crowded  that 
one  thousand  children  had  to  be  refused  seats. 

Two  years  later  Mr.  Dore  resigned,  and  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  William  H. 
Wells,  principal  of  the  normal  school  at  Westfield,  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Wells  had 
for  twenty  years  been  prominent  in  educational  work  in  Massachusetts,  was  full 
of  the  spirit  of  Horace  Mann  then  dominating  the  schools  'of  that  state,  and  was 
enthusiastic  in  carrying  out  the  most  progressive  plans  of  education.  In  his  first 
report  on  the  Chicago  schools  Superintendent  Wells  stated  that  there  were  at 
least  "three  thousand  children  in  our  city  who  are  utterly  destitute  of  school  in- 
struction or  any  equivalent  for  it;"  he  also  called  attention  to  the  overcrowding  of 
the  buildings.  This  last  named  condition  made  the  need  of  a  high  school  the  more 

urgent. 

t 

FIRST    HIGH    SCHOOL    BUILDING 

The  question  of  establishing  a  high  school  had  come  up  soon  after  the  schools 
were  reorganized  in  1840,  in  order  to  provide  for  the  more  advanced  pupils.  The 
inspectors  in  their  annual  report  for  1843  had  suggested  it,  but  the  Common  Coun- 
cil, pleading  insuperable  objections,  waived  the  question,  until  in  1855,  after  much 
urging  from  the  board  of  inspectors,  they  ordered  and  provided  for  the  building 
of  a  high  school  in  Block  1  (located  on  West  Monroe  street  near  Halsted).  In  tak- 
ing this  step  Chicago  was  keeping  abreast  of  the  progress  made  in  the  older  com- 
munities of  the  East,  as  Boston,  Philadelphia  and  New  York  had  but  recently 
established  high  schools.  In  October,  1856,  the  school  opened,  with  C.  A.  Dupee 
as  principal.  The  curricula  included  a  classical  course  of  three  years,  an  English 
course  of  three  years,  and  a  normal  course  of  two  years,  this  last  named  depart- 
ment being  conducted  by  Ira  Moore.  The  combined  classical  and  English  courses 
could  be  completed  in  four  years.  There  were  various  changes  in  the  schedule 
before  the  length  of  all  courses  became  uniform.  There  were  158  candidates  for 
admission  at  the  first  examination  in  1856,  114  of  whom  were  admitted  on  a  per- 
centage of  fifty. 

By  1869 — thirteen  years  after  its  opening — the  high  school  building  had  be- 
come so  crowded  that  classes  were  formed  in  the  several  divisions  of  the  city;  in 
these  classes  the  first  year  work  was  done,  after  which  the  students  went  to  the 
central  building  to  complete  the  course.  The  normal  department  later  occupied 
a  separate  building,  and  Mr.  Edward  C.  Delano  was  made  principal  in  1857,  a 
position  he  held  until  1877,  when  the  normal  school  was  discontinued,  because  more 
students  were  being  graduated  than  were  then  needed  as  teachers  in  the  schools. 
It  was  the  plan  to  suspend  the  work  temporarily  in  the  school,  but  it  was  never 
reorganized. 

From  1877  to  1893  there  was  no  school  or  department  for  the  training  of  teach- 
ers in  the  city  of  Chicago.  While  Mr.  George  Howland  was  superintendent  of 


294  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

schools  (1881-1890),  high  school  graduates  who  passed  the  teachers'  examination 
were  assigned  to  schools  as  cadets  to  learn  how  to  teach.  When  they  were  con- 
sidered able  to  undertake  a  class,  they  were  given  positions  as  regular  teachers. 
As  the  number  of  these  inexperienced  teachers  increased  and  threatened  the  wel- 
fare of  the  schools,  it  was  decided  to  give  them  some  professional  training  in 
addition  to  their  cadet  practice.  A  training  class  for  cadets  was  therefore  organ- 
ized in  1893,  and  proved  to  be,  practically,  a  resuming  of  the  work  of  the  Chi- 
cago Normal  school,  which  was  closed  in  1877.  The  next  advance  which  was 
made  in  Chicago  in  the  training  of  its  teachers  was  the  agreement  with  the  county 
to  take  over  and  maintain  as  a  city  school  the  old  Cook  County  Normal  school. 
This  agreement  was  made  in  1896,  and  will  be  noticed  later. 


CHAPTER  XV 

EDUCATION  IN  CHICAGO— (CONTINUED) 

OVERCROWDED      CONDITION      OF      THE      SCHOOLS GRADED      INSTRUCTION      INTRODUCED 

PROGRESSIVE     POLICY     OF     SUPERINTENDENT     WELLS SEPARATE     SCHOOLS     FOR     COL- 
ORED   CHILDREN JOSIAH    L.    PICKARD    BECOMES    SUPERINTENDENT    IN     1865 STUDY 

OF     GERMAN     DECIDED     UPON EVENING     SCHOOLS CORPORAL     PUNISHMENT     ABOL- 
ISHED  SCHOOLS     FOR     THE      DEAF EFFECTS      OF     THE      GREAT      FIRE CHANGES      IN 

MANNER     OF     APPOINTMENT     OF     MEMBERS     OF     THE     BOARD DUANE     DOTY     BECOMES 

SUPERINTENDENT MANUAL    TRAINING    AND    DOMESTIC    SCIENCE GROWTH    OF    HIGH 

SCHOOLS COMMERCIAL     COURSES     IN     HIGH     SCHOOLS PRESIDENT     JAMES*     VIEWS 

HIGH        SCHOOL        ATHLETICS KINDERGARTENS BENEFITS        FROM        KINDERGARTEN 

CLASSES NATIONAL   HOLIDAYS   RECOGNIZED    BY   SCHOOL   BOARD FIRST   WOMAN    MEM- 
BER    OF     BOARD     OF     EDUCATION ALBERT     G.     LANE     BECOMES     SUPERINTENDENT     IN 

1890 MORE     SCHOOL     BUILDINGS     REQUIRED NORMAL     SCHOOL COLONEL     FRANCIS 

W.     PARKER NORMAL      COURSE      LENGTHENED BUILDING     FOR      NORMAL     SCHOOL 

LAWSUIT    TO    PREVENT    ERECTION    OF    BUILDING MRS.    ELLA    FLAGG    YOUNG    BECOMES 

PRINCIPAL     OF     NORMAL     SCHOOL NORMAL     EXTENSION     WORK WAR     ON     "FADs"- 

INSTRUCTION     FOR    THE    BLIND SUBNORMAL    PUPILS. 

OVERCROWDING    IN    THE     SCHOOLS 

MEANWHILE,  during  the  fifties  and  sixties,  the  evil  of  overcrowded  school- 
houses  was  growing  worse  each  year  in  spite  of  the  emphasis  laid  on 
the  correction  of  it  in  the  superintendent's  reports.1  Some  of  the  gram- 
mar school  teachers  had  over  one  hundred  pupils  each,  and  primary 
teachers  often  had  from  two  hundred  to  three  hundred  little  children 
in  a  room,  wriggling  and  whispering  in  unmanageable  numbers.  The  new  build- 
ings which  were  hastily  constructed  to  meet  the  unusual  demand,  did  not  provide 
a  proper  amount  of  air  or  light  or  heat  for  the  great  number  of  pupils  crowded 
into  them;  hence  arose  the  discomfort  to  the  children,  which  was  one  of  the 
causes  of  irregular  attendance  against  which  the  authorities  struggled  for  years. 
As  the  establishment  of  a  high  school  in  1856  relieved  this  condition  of  things  but 
imperceptibly,  other  schools  were  built,  and  in  1858  the  minimum  school  age 
was  raised  to  six  years.  Thus  the  average  number  of  pupils  under  one  teacher 
was  reduced  to  seventy-seven,  and  the  strain  upon  the  capacity  of  the  school- 
houses  relieved  for  the  time  being. 

At  the  end  of   1857  there   were  ten  public   schools   in  the  city   and  two   small 

1  "The  Public  Schools  of  Chicago,"  by  Hannah  B.  Clark,  p.  20. 

295 


296  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

branches  of  the  grammar  and  primary  grades.  The  school  attendance  was  8577,2 
the  number  of  teachers  fifty-seven,  and  the  amount  paid  in  salaries  a  little  over 
$28,000.3 

In  the  superintendent's  report  for  1858,  Mr.  Wells,  in  reviewing  the  work  that 
had  been  done  and  the  deep  interest  taken  by  the  men  of  the  early  school  board, 
said,  "When  in  the  far  distant  future  the  philosophic  historian  shall  write  the 
history  of  our  city;  when  the  character  and  acts  of  successive  generations  shall 
be  weighed  in  the  scales  of  impartial  judgment;  when  material  wealth  shall  be 
regarded  in  its  true  light,  as  the  means  to  an  end;  when  social  enjoyment  and  in- 
tellectual cultivation  and  moral  worth  shall  be  rightly  estimated  as  essential  ele- 
ments of  prosperity,  in  every  community — then  will  the  wisdom  of  those  who  have 
Jaid  the  foundation  of  our  public  school  system  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance; 
then  will  the  names  of  Scammon  and  Brown,  and  Jones,  and  Miltimore,  and 
Mosely,  and  Foster,  and  their  coadjutors,  be  honored  as  among  the  truest  and 
most  worthy  benefactors  of  Chicago." 

The  work  of  the  city  superintendent  increased  to  such  a  volume  that  in  1859 
a  clerk  was  employed  in  his  office.  Samuel  Hull  filled  this  position  for  one  year, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  Shepherd  Johnston,  who  held  the  position  until  his 
death  in  1894.  Mr.  Johnston  wrote  a  careful,  accurate  sketch  of  the  schools  of 
Chicago,  carrying  his  history  to  the  year  1879.  Upon  his  report  later  writers  on 
the  early  schools  of  Chicago  have  largely  depended,  and  to  him  the  present  writer 
is  indebted  for  much  material  about  the  schools  prior  to  1879.  His  historical  sketch 
is  itself  an  expression  of  his  orderly  efficient  methods  of  managing  the  affairs  of 
the  office,  in  which  he  won  the  affection  and  high  regard  of  those  associated  with 
him. 

The  necessity  for  physical  training  was  pointed  out  in  the  board  of  education 
in  1859  by  its  president,  Mr.  Luther  Haven,  who  urged  the  importance  of  a 
sound  mind  in  a  sound  body,  and  called  attention  to  the  fragile,  unhealthy  forms 
of  many  of  the  children  in  the  schools.  Mr.  Haven  urged  the  city  to  provide 
playgrounds  and  simple  gymnastic  apparatus  for  the  schools;  but  land  even  then 
was  considered  too  valuable  to  be  used  merely  for  pleasure,  and  the  idea  of  free- 
hand gymnastics  was  slow  of  development,  in  spite  of  its  involving  no  expense, 
and  affording  immense  gain  to  the  children. 

GRADED    INSTRUCTION    INTRODUCED 

A  graded  course  of  instruction,  prepared  by  Superintendent  Wells,  was  adopted 
in  1861  by  the  board  of  education.  This  attempt  (the  first  in  Illinois)  to  estab- 
lish an  extended  graded  course  of  instruction  was  the  beginning  of  the  thoroughly 
graded  system  upon  which  our  public  schools  are  now  based.  The  grammar  school 
work  was  divided  into  five  grades,  the  primary  work  into  five.  In  his  outline  of 
the  course  of  studies,  Mr.  Wells  laid  especial  emphasis  upon  lessons  in  manners 
and  morals,  and  on  natural  science.  The  progressive  character  of  Mr.  Wells' 
work  as  superintendent,  and  the  vigor  of  its  execution  made  him  one  of  the  most 
influential  figures  in  the  development  of  the  Chicago  schools.  This  organization 

2  Daily  News  Almanac. 
'Andreas:     I,   216. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  297 

of  the  schools  was  one  of  his  important  achievements.  Immediately  upon  its 
publication  it  was  extensively  copied  by  other  cities,  with  modifications  to  suit 
their  needs. 

SEPARATE  SCHOOLS  FOR  COLORED  CHILDREN 

An  interesting  though  short  lived  arrangement  may  here  be  spoken  of.  Until 
1863  there  was  no  discrimination  against  colored  children  in  the  public  schools 
of  the  city  but  the  intense  partisan  feeling  of  the  time  resulted  in  an  expression 
of  race  prejudice  in  regulating  the  attendance  at  the  public  schools.  The  city 
charter  adopted  in  February,  1863,  contained  the  following  provision  for  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  separate  school  for  colored  children:  "It  shall  be  the  duty  of 
the  Common  Council  to  provide  one  or  more  schools  for  the  instruction  of  negro 
and  mulatto  children,  to  be  kept  in  a  separate  building  to  be  provided  for  that 
purpose,  at  which  colored  pupils  between  the  ages  of  five  and  twenty-one  years, 
residing  in  every  School  District  in  said  city,  shall  be  allowed  to  attend;  and 
hereafter  it  shall  not  be  lawful  for  such  pupils  to  attend  any  Public  School  in 
the  City  of  Chicago  at  which  white  children  are  taught,  after  a  school  for  the  in- 
struction of  negro  and  mulatto  children  has  been  provided." 

In  accordance  with  this  provision  the  Common  Council  passed  an  order  estab- 
lishing a  separate  school  for  colored  children.  Such  a  school  was  held  in  a  rented 
building  at  the  corner  of  Taylor  street  and  Fourth  avenue,  and  was  continued 
until  April,  1865,  when  the  provision  for  separate  schools  for  colored  children 
was  repealed  by  the  city  charter  of  1865,  in  consequence  of  the  gradual  disap- 
pearance of  the  harsh  feeling  which  had  prevailed  in  the  years  just  preceding  this 
time. 

In  1864  Mr.  Wells  resigned  his  position  as  superintendent,  to  enter  business 
life,  after  eight  years  of  invaluable  service  in  improving  the  city  schools.4  Dur- 
ing these  years  he  had  developed  his  own  system  of  graded  courses,  which  became 
a  model  for  educators  all  over  the  country ;  he  had  delivered  lectures  explaining 
his  system  and  had  written  a  book  on  it;  and  he  was  for  one  year  president  of 
the  Illinois  State  Teachers'  Association.  After  his  resignation  he  was  still  closely 
connected  with  the  schools,  and  an  energetic  worker  in  their  behalf,  being  on  the 
school  board  for  many  years,  and  writing  textbooks  which  became  standard  au- 
thorities on  the  subjects  of  which  they  treated.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Chicago 
Historical  Society,  the  Public  Library  board,  and  was  a  well  known  figure  in 
the  city  until  his  death  on  January  21,  1885. 

JOSIAH     L.     PICKARD     BECOMES    SUPERINTENDENT 

Josiah  L.  Pickard  was  elected  to  succeed  Mr.  Wells.  In  1865  two  innova- 
tions were  introduced  into  the  school  system  by  the  new  superintendent.  The 
study  of  German  in  the  schools  below  the  high  school  was  decided  upon  as  an  ex- 
periment by  the  board,  and  in  the  fall  a  class  was  formed  in  the  Washington 
school  in  the  West  Division.  So  large  a  number  of  pupils  elected  the  study,  that 
in  the  next  year  it  was  decided  to  have  German  classes  in  one  school  in  each 
division.  Twelve  years  later  the  instruction  was  graded;  the  study  had  become 

4  Andreas:  I,  p.  215. 


298  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

so  popular  that  it  was  a  part  of  the  course  in  eighteen  of  the  district  schools,  a 
special  teacher  of  German  having  been  engaged  since  1874.  Another  experi- 
ment of  that  year  was  the  public  support  of  a  free  evening  school,  started  in  1856 
as  a  private  undertaking,  the  board  at  first  only  giving  the  use  of  the  room  in  which 
it  was  taught.  Its  sessions  were  held  in  West  Market  Hall,  on  Randolph  street, 
near  Desplaines  street.  Daniel  S.  Wentworth,  principal  of  Scammon  school,  vol- 
unteered to  conduct  the  evening  classes,  being  mainly  assisted  by  day  teachers, 
who  gave  their  services  to  the  work.  The  first  direct  support  given  evening  schools 
by  the  Common  Council  was  $5,000  from  the  general  fund,  appropriated  in  1865. 
The  work  has  been  continued  until  the  present  time,  with  the  exception  of  a  short 
period  after  the  fire,  and  during  the  year  1877,  when  there  was  no  money  for 
the  support  of  evening  schools. 

About  the  same  time  another  addition  to  the  list  of  studies  was  recommended 
by  the  superintendent.  This  was  the  teaching  of  drawing,  then  considered  by 
many  a  useless  fad.  An  unsuccessful  attempt  was  made  in  the  Teachers'  Insti- 
tute to  secure  for  teachers  some  instructions,  that  they  might  be  able  themselves 
to  teach  drawing.  This  failing,  in  1870  two  drawing  teachers  were  appointed. 
The  Bartholomew  Series  of  drawing  books  was  at  first  used,  and  later  the  Walter 
Smith  system  of  free-hand  drawing. 

Between  1860  and  1870  the  number  of  pupils  in  the  schools  increased  from 
14,149  to  38,939,  and  the  number  of  teachers  from  123  to  557.  The  increase  in 
seating  capacity  in  the  schools  was  not  proportionate,  and  it  was  estimated  that 
in  1863  there  were  2000  children  of  school  age  not  in  attendance;  in  1868  there 
were  12,000.  An  assistant  superintendent  was  provided  for  and  elected  in  1870. 
owing  to  the  increased  burden  of  management. 

The  puzzling  question  of  discipline  in  schools,  always  a  present  one  with  the 
teachers,  was  claiming  the  attention  of  educators  throughout  the  country  at  this 
time.  In  the  advanced  schools  of  the  East  the  doctrine  and  practice  of  sparing 
the  rod  had  been  found  successful,  and  had  given  rise  to  much  argument  in  other 
communities  regarding  the  good  old  fashioned  idea  of  deserved  corporal  punish- 
ment. The  board  in  Chicago,  led  by  its  president,  held  out  against  the  new  con- 
ception of  discipline,  but  finally,  when  corporal  punishment  had  been  practically 
abandoned  in  the  schools,  the  board  formally  ruled  against  it. 

SCHOOLS    FOR    THE    DEAF 

A  class  for  the  deaf  was  started  in  September,  1870,  by  Mr.  D.  Greenberger, 
in  rooms  furnished  by  the  board  of  education,  but  otherwise  not  supported  by  the 
city,  the  pupils  paying  tuition.  In  1875  the  board  assumed  control  of  the  school, 
and  in  1879  the  state  legislature  made  an  appropriation  for  the  support  of  a.  school 
for  the  deaf  in  the  city,  which  gave  the  school  already  started  the  means  to  en- 
large its  work  materially. 

Other  classes  for  the  deaf  were  started,  and  knowledge  that  such  public  in- 
struction was  offered  in  certain  schools  became  more  widely  known  among  parents 
of  deaf  children.  In  1 895  there  were  four  schools  in  which  there  were  these  classes, 
two  on  the  West  Side,  one  on  the  North  Side,  and  one  on  the  South  Side,  with  a 
total  enrollment  of  sixty-five  pupils.  With  so  few  centers,  the  difficulty  in  keep- 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  299 

ing  up  the  standard  of  attendance  was  due  to  the  distance  of  many  pupils  from 
the  schools,  necessitating  carfare  and  often  the  company  of  older  persons  to  and 
from  school ;  besides,  often  parents  had  not  heard  of  these  classes,  others  could 
not  afford  the  expense  and  trouble  of  sending  the  children  to  a  distant  school,  and 
still  others  sent  their  children  to  the  Jacksonville  school  for  the  deaf,  where  the 
students  remain  away  from  home  nine  months  of  the  year.  The  passing  of  a  bill 
"authorizing  School  Districts  managed  by  Boards  of  Education  or  Directors  to 
establish  and  maintain  day  schools  for  the  deaf,  and  authorizing  payment  from 
the  State  Common  School  Funds"  resulted  in  further  public  action  in  behalf  of 
deaf  children,  and  in  1896  Miss  Mary  McCowen,  a  woman  of  experience  in  the 
education  of  the  deaf,  was  elected  as  supervising  principal  of  the  Chicago  Public 
Schools  for  the  Deaf.  The  establishment  of  new  centers  has  increased  to  such  an 
extent  that  at  the  present  time,  thanks  to  the  enforcement  of  the  compulsory  edu- 
cation law,  and  the  growth  of  the  department,  there  are  in  the  city  more  than 
twenty  centers  for  the  instruction  of  deaf  children.  In  some  of  these  rooms  the 
teaching  is  by  the  wholly  oral  method,  by  which  the  children  learn  to  speak  and 
to  read  the  lips  of  others;  in  other  rooms  the  combined  system  of  studying  both 
speech  and  the  sign  language  is  used  in  teaching.  '  Parents  may  choose  to  which 
classes  to  send  their  children.  The  rooms  used  for  this  instruction  are  in  the  reg- 
ular school  buildings,  so  that  deaf  children  are  associated  with  other  children  at 
recess  and  before  and  after  school.  The  partial  realization  of  ideals  set  by  Miss 
McCowen  and  indicated  in  her  report  for  1897  has  meant  progress  in  these  schools; 
in  this  report  she  wrote,  "With  a  uniform  course  of  study,  and  classes  carefully 
graded,  for  all  deaf  children  of  the  city,  whether  taught  by  the  Combined  System 
or'  the  Pure  Oral,  with  small  classes  near  the  homes  for  primary  children,  larger 
classes  at  central  points  for  intermediate  children  who  are  able  to  go  greater  dis- 
tances alone,  and  a  central  grammar  school,  or  two  if  necessary,  one  for  each 
method,  our  schools  for  the  deaf  may,  in  my  opinion,  be  vastly  improved."  In 
some  of  the  larger  centers  for  the  deaf  the  pupils  have  been  graded  according  to 
their  relative  deafness,  and  according  to  their  advancement  in  studies  have  been 
assigned  to  their  proper  classes,  and  occasionally  allowed  to  participate  in  the 
recitation  work  of  hearing  children.  This  is  found  to  be  a  great  benefit  and  stim- 
ulus to  them. 

Classes  for  the  deaf  are  necessarily  small  because  of  the  great  amount  of  time 
that  must  be  given  to  each  pupil.  However,  though  the  expense  per  capita  in 
this  department  is  therefore  great,  compensation  is  evident  in  the  useful,  dis- 
ciplined lives  of  those  who  would  otherwise  be  among  the  dependent  members  of 
society.  The  department  is  at  present  in  charge  of  one  of  the  assistant  superin- 
tendents. 

EFFECTS    OF    THE    GREAT    FIRE 

In  1871  came  the  Great  Fire  which,  devastating  as  it  was,  had  the  same  effect 
upon  the  school  system  as  upon  the  city  in  general — the  marking  of  a  new  period 
in  its  development.  There  were  sixty  public  schools  in  Chicago  in  1871,  of  which 
fifteen  were  burned.  Of  the  number  destroyed,  five  buildings  were  rented  by  the 
city  for  the  use  of  schools,  and  ten  were  owned  by  it,  one  of  these  being  located 
in  the  South  Division  and  nine  in  the  North  Division ;  those  left  standing  in  the 


300  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

North  Division  were  the  Newberry  and  Lincoln  schools.  Among  the  schools  de- 
stroyed were  the  Jones,  Kinzie,  Franklin,  Ogden,  Pearson  street  primary,  Elm 
street  primary,  La  Salle  street  primary,  and  the  North  Branch  primary.  Some 
of  the  buildings  which  remained  standing  were  put  into  immediate  use  by  the  Chi- 
cago Relief  and  Aid  Society  as  temporary  sleeping  places  for  those  made  home- 
less by  the  fire.  This  unusual  occupancy  continued  for  a  week  or  more,  until  other 
shelter  could  be  provided  for  the  sufferers.  Within  two  weeks  after  the  fire  the 
Board  of  Education  reopened  these  buildings,  secured  temporary  school  rooms, 
and  began  to  engage  the  former  teachers.  The  number  of  teachers  employed  was 
much  greater  than  the  number  of  available  rooms.  The  teachers  were  accordingly 
divided  into  four  classes:  (1)  those  who  were  burned  out  and  were  homeless;  (2) 
those  who  had  parents  or  younger  members  of  the  family  dependent  on  them  for 
support;  (3)  those  who  had  to  depend  on  their  own  earnings  for  a  livelihood;  (-1) 
those  who  had  friends  or  relatives  who  could  provide  for  them  for  the  present. 
In  being  assigned  to  duty  they  were  given  employment  as  nearly  as  possible  in 
the  above  order,  some  remaining  without  employment  for  a  year;  most,  however, 
were  working  after  six  months.  The  rebuilding  of  the  schools  which  were  burned 
was  a  work  of  three  years,  and  the  loss  suffered  from  the  damage  done  to  the  school 
fund  property  was  felt  much  longer. 

A  great  loss  to  the  schools  was  the  burning  of  all  the  books  and  papers  which 
were  kept  in  the  offices  of  the  board.  These  included  the  city  and  state  reports, 
the  manuscript  records  of  the  proceedings  of  the  board  from  its  beginning,  and 
the  school  library.  It  was  estimated  that  the  pecuniary  loss  to  the  board  of  edu- 
cation was  about  $251,000.5 

CHANGE    IN    MANNER    OF    APPOINTING    BOARD    MEMBERS 

A  change  was  made  in  1872  in  the  manner  of  choice  of  members  of  the  board 
of  education.  By  enactment  of  the  legislature  the  mayor,  with  the  approval  of 
the  council,  was  to  appoint  the  members,  and  the  board  was  given  the  power  to 
buy  sites,  erect  buildings,  loan  funds,  etc.,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  council. 
Although  the  board  was  thus  given  greater  power  than  before,  it  found  it  difficult 
to  carry  out  plans  for  increasing  the  school  equipment.  The  question  of  providing 
for  the  rapidly  growing  enrollment  of  pupils  was  now,  more  than  ever  before,  a 
serious  one.  The  council  had  listened  to  the  urgent  requests  of  the  school  board 
for  more  school  buildings  to  such  an  extent  that  they  were  accused  of  great  ex- 
travagance. Ten  new  buildings  had  been  erected  within  a  period  of  four  years, 
and  still,  according  to  the  school  report  of  1875,  one-fifth  of  the  50,000  pupils  en- 
rolled were  having  but  half-day  sessions,  on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  seats.  The 
board  had  trouble  in  securing  provision  from  the  council  for  repairing  old  build- 
ings and  providing  new  ones.  The  board  even  accused  those  members  of  the 
council  who  were  on  the  school  committee  of  neglect  of  the  people's  interests  and 
of  collusion  with  property  owners  in  preventing  the  board  from  buying  lots  that 
were  needed.  The  board  did  not  have  the  power  to  condemn  property  for  school 
purposes,  and  in  the  purchase  of  lots  there  was  always  the  difficulty  of  dealing 
with  sellers  who  showed  a  disposition  to  demand  an  exorbitant  price  from  the 

5  Report  of  Chicago  Relief  and   Aid   Society   (1874),  p.  13. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  301 

city.  Conditions  became  worse  and  worse,  and  in  1879  only  37.7  per  cent  of  the 
school  population  could  be  accommodated.  This  extremity,  together  with  the  poor 
sanitary  condition  of  many  of  the  school  buildings,  was  followed  by  the  build- 
ing of  more  schools  and  by  improving  the  lighting  and  ventilation  of  the  buildings, 
both  old  and  new.  The  use  of  stoves  was  still  prevalent,  however,  and  the  light- 
ing of  the  school  rooms  was  so  inadequate  that  an  examination  of  the  eyes  of 
children  in  the  grammar  and  high  school  grades  of  a  certain  neighborhood  showed 
a  steady  increase  of  myopia  from  lower  to  upper  grades. 

For  some  time  before  1875  there  had  been  discussion  in  the  board  of  educa- 
tion and  among  the  citizens  regarding  Scriptural  reading  in  the  public  schools. 
After  being  considered  in  the  newspapers,  on  platforms,  and  in  gatherings  of  so- 
cieties, the  question  was  voted  on  by  the  board  and  it  was  decided  to  omit  the 
reading  of  the  Bible  in  the  schools.  This  movement  is  generally  thought  to  have 
been  started  by  the  Catholics  and  to  have  been,  in  its  outcome,  a  victory  for  them. 

The  schools  were  regraded  in  1875,  so  that  the  number  of  elementary  grades 
was  reduced  to  eight,  an  arrangement  which  still  exists.  In  1877  Mr.  Pickard  was 
succeeded  by  Duane  Doty  as  superintendent  of  schools. 

MANUAL    TRAINING    INTRODUCED 

The  introduction  of  manual  training  into  the  schools  marks  the  beginning  of 
an  epoch  in  which  attention  is  being  paid  to  making  a  wider  appeal  to  those  not 
satisfied  with  the  course  of  studies  as  it  had  hitherto  been.  In  1876  the  first 
step  in  this  direction  in  Chicago  was  taken.  In  the  school  report  for  the  year 
ending  June,  1910,  the  present  superintendent  of  schools,  in  calling  attention  to 
the  still  existing  need  for  more  manual  training  equipment  in  the  schools,  says  that 
"it  is  a  quarter  of  a  century  since  Chicago  began  to  advocate  training  the  hand, 
and  training  to  a  knowledge  of  the  home  arts."  At  the  time  referred  to  a  year's 
course  of  manual  training  work  was  included  in  the  curriculum  of  the  North  Di- 
vision High  school,  and  in  the  next  year  was  lengthened  to  a  two  years'  course;  in 
1890  the  English  High  and  Manual  Training  school  was  organized  and  offered  a 
three  years'  course  in  this  work.0  The  movement  in  this  country  to  introduce 
manual  training  into  the  schools  had  its  origin  in  the  interest  aroused  at  the  Paris 
Exposition  of  1867,  at  which  there  were  exhibits  of  the  technical  work  of  the 
pupils  of  European  schools,  which  gave  new  ideas  to  the  American  visitors  who 
were  interested  in  educational  methods.  It  was  more  than  ten  years  after  the 
Paris  Exposition  that  the  experiment  of  making  manual  training  a  part  of  the 
school  course  was  tried  in  the  schools  of  Gloucester,  Massachusetts,  and  Boston, 
and  New  Haven.  In  1876,  when  Chicago  opened  three  ungraded  schools  for 
truants,  "sloyd"  was  introduced  as  a  course  there.  In  1885  the  Chicago  Woman's 
Club  made  an  earnest  but  unsuccessful  effort  to  have  manual  training  introduced 
into  the  schools.  It  was  in  the  following  year  that  manual  training  was  finally 
made  one  of  the  courses  offered  at  the  North  Division  High  school.  The  first  time 
it  was  taught  in  the  grades  was  when,  in  1891,  at  the  expense  of  Mr.  Richard  T. 
Crane,  a  room  was  fitted  up  and  a  teacher  engaged  for  the  Tilden  school.  In 
this  room  instruction  in  manual  training  was  given  to  the  boys  of  the  eighth  grades 

6  Hannah  B    Clark:    Public  Schools  of  Chicago,  p.  ^^. 


302  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

of  the  Tilden  and  neighboring  schools.     Another  such  center  was  established  in 
the  following  year  at  the  Jones  school  by  the  Chicago  Herald. 

After  the  beginning  thus  made  through  outside  assistance,  the  board  gradually 
undertook  the  work.  Of  the  progress  made  since  then  we  may  judge  by  words 
from  the  1910  report  of  Mrs.  Ella  Flagg  Young,  the  superintendent  of  schools. 
"In  spite  of  all  our  warmth  of  espousal  of  the  cause  of  manual  training  and  house- 
hold arts,  only  three  schools  in  every  four  in  our  city  are  equipped  for  manual  train- 
ing and  only  seventy-three  out  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  for  cooking.  When  will 
our  works  keep  step  with  our  belief  in  training  the  hand,  the  eye,  the  muscles  of 
children,  through  use  of  the  materials  furnished  man  by  Mother  Earth,  such  train- 
ing coming  through  a  few  simple,  every-day,  industrial  arts?  Every  elementary 
school  should  be  equipped  with  a  manual  training  shop,  a  kitchen,  and  a  sewing 
room.  The  work  of  the  teachers  in  class-rooms  and  of  teachers  of  industrial  arts 
can  never  be  integrated  so  long  as  the  pupils  are  sent  away  from  the  building  to 
a  distant  school  to  be  taught  one  phase  of  the  integration,  while  the  teachers  busy 
in  their  separate  buildings  have  no  opportunity  for  conference  and,  at  times,  for 
cooperative  work  in  class  instruction.  If  this  work  is  suited  for  the  children 
below  the  seventh  grade,  as  suggested  in  the  report  of  the  superintendent  for 
1908-9,  there  is  no  school  so  small  that  it  could  not  occupy  the  full  time  of  a 
teacher  of  manual  training  and  a  teacher  of  household  arts  in  carrying  out  the 
hand  work  in  conjunction  with  the  book  work." 

DOMESTIC    SCIENCE    INTRODUCED 

Instruction  in  domestic  science  was  first  given  in  the  Chicago  schools  in  1897, 
when  a  group  of  private  individuals  offered  to  pay  the  expenses  of  teachers  and 
equipment  if  the  board  of  education  would  grant  them  the  use  of  necessary  rooms. 
Cooking  and  sewing  classes  were  taught  in  two  such  rooms  during  the  first  year, 
and  the  next  year  the  board  of  education  appropriated  $25,000  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  ten  centers  for  the  teaching  of  sewing  and  ten  for  cooking.  To  these 
centers  pupils  were  sent  from  145  schools.  Domestic  science  courses  have  re- 
cently been  introduced  into  more  of  the  grades  and  into  some  of  the  high  schools. 
In  thus  wisely  providing  for  training  in  active  hand  work  as  well  as  in  academic 
studies,  the  educational  system  of  Chicago  is  recognizing  the  necessity  for  the 
rounded  development  of  the  boys  and  girls.  To  quote  Dr.  Dewey  on  this  subject: 
"The  simple  fact  in  the  case  is  that  in  the  great  majority  of  human  beings  the 
distinctive  intellectual  interest  is  not  dominant.  If  we  were  to  conceive  our 
educational  end  and  aim  in  a  less  exclusive  way,  if  we  were  to  introduce  into  educa- 
tional processes  the  activities  which  do  appeal  to  those  whose  dominant  interest 
is  to  do  and  to  make,  we  should  find  that  the  hold  of  the  school  upon  its  members 
would  be  more  vital,  more  prolonged.  .  .  .  The  school  should  not  be  an  in- 
stitution that  is  arbitrary  and  traditional,  but  must  be  related  to  the  growing  evolu- 
tion of  society.  One  of  the  social  changes  most  prominent  at  the  present  time  is 
the  industrial  one.  .It  is  absurd  to  expect  that  a  revolution  shall  not  affect  educa- 
tion. Correlated  with  these  industrial  changes  is  the  introduction  of  manual  train- 
ing, shop  work,  household  arts  and  cooking.  The  school  must  not  remain  apart, 
Isolated  from  forms  of  life  that  are  affecting  society  outside.  The  impulse  to 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

create,  to  produce,  whether  in  the  form  of  utility  or  art,  must  be  recognized.  This 
impulse  or  tendency  is  just  as  real  and  imperative  in  the  development  of  the  human 
being  as  something  that  appeals  simply  to  our  desire  to  learn,  to  accumulate  in- 
formation and  to  get  control  of  the  symbols  of  learning."7 

GROWTH    OF    HIGH    SCHOOLS    SINCE    1881 

To  relieve  the  crowding  in  the  one  high  school  of  the  city,  so-called*  "division 
high  schools"  were  opened  in  1881,  in  which  a  two  years'  course  of  instruction 
was  offered  to  those  not  wishing  the  four  years'  course.  These  branches  of  the 
high  school  finally  became  regular  high  schools  established  in  different  divisions 
of  the  city.'  In  1890  an  English  High  and  Manual  Training  school  was  organized, 
where  a  special  three  years'  course  of  technical  instruction  was  offered  to  boys. 
This  was  the  means  of  keeping  many  more  boys  than  formerly  in  attendance  at 
high  school,  especially  after  manual  training  was  introduced,  through  the  gener- 
osity of  Mr.  R.  T.  Crane,  into  the  seventh  and  eighth  grades,  in  about  1891.  The 
course  at  the  English  High  and  Manual  Training  school  was  lengthened  in  1901 
to  four  years,  the  course  being  thus  put  on  a  par  with  that  of  the  best  secondary 
technical  schools  in  the  country.  In  1903  a  new  building  for  the  English  High 
and  Manual  Training  school  was  finished  and  called  the  Richard  T.  Crane  Manual 
Training  High  school;  another  high  school  for  boys  is  the  Albert  G.  Lane  Tech- 
nical High  school,  finished  in  1908  and  accommodating  1500  high  school  boys. 

A  statement  of  the  number  graduating  from  the  high  schools  of  Chicago  will 
give  some  idea  of  the  increase  of  demand  for  secondary  schools  during  the  past 
fifteen  years.  There  were  794  graduates  in  1895  from  the  fourteen  city  high 
schools;  in  1900  there  were  1249  who  graduated  from  the  fifteen  high  schools; 
in  1910  the  number  of  those  graduating  from  the  eighteen  high  schools  was  1560. 
In  making  a  resume,  in  1900,  of  the  high  schools  of  the  city,  Mr,  Nightingale, 
then  assistant  superintendent  of  schools  and  in  charge  of  the  high  schools,  said  in 
his  report:  "With  an  examination  standard  of  50  per  cent,  where  we  now  require 
75  per  cent,  about  one  hundred  pupils  entered  the  one  high  school  at  its  opening 
October  8,  1856.  (There  were  2500  in  the  common  schools.)  Today  [in  1900] 
there  are  fifteen  high  schools  with  nearly  10,000,  and  each  and  every  school  is  a 
monument  to  the  wisdom,  the  sagacity,  the  far-sightedness,  the  philanthropy  and 
the  patriotism  of  the  few  citizens  who,  after  thirteen  years  of  agitation,  founded 
the  first  high  school  in  Chicago  in  1856,  which  was  open  to  both  sexes."  There 
has  never  been  a  time  since  then  when  the  overcrowding  in  the  high  school  de- 
partment has  not  been  a  question  of  more  or  less  seriousness. 

The  proportion  of  girls  in  attendance  at  high  school  has  long  been  much  greater 
than  that  of  boys,  a  state  of  affairs  which  has  been  a  matter  of  deep  concern  to 
those  superintending  the  high  schools.  Superintendent  Lane  early  recommended 
greater  elasticity  in  the  curriculum  and  this,  secured  by  degrees,  has  been  the 
means  of  keeping  many  in  school,  especially  boys.  It  has  been  recognized  that 
a  more  effective  means  of  preventing  the  boys  from  leaving  school  early  would  be 
the  existence  of  courses  of  instruction  in  commercial  studies.  Such  studies  would 
not  only  attract  a  great  number  of  students  who  now  find  no  interest  in  the  scien- 

7  Report  of  Public  Schools,  1901,  p.  104. 


304  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

tific  and  literary  courses  at  present  offered  in  the  high  schools ;  they  would  also 
furnish  a  valuable  business  training  which  would  produce  men  well  equipped  in 
commercial  ability — men  who  would  in  time  become  the  better  citizens  and  busi- 
ness men  for  such  training. 

COMMERCIAL    COURSES    IN    HIGH    SCHOOLS 

The  commercial  schools  of  this  and  European  countries  have  been  investigated 
by  President  Edmund  J.  James  of  the  University  of  Illinois,  whose  writings  have 
been  stimulating  to  other  educators  who  feel  the  necessity  of  a  public  school  of 
commerce.  He  is  quoted  in  the  school  report  for  1896  as  writing:  "The  sys- 
tematic and  steady  development  of  commercial  interests  lies  in  the  interest  of  our 
business  world,  in  the  interest  in  the  community  in  general,  and  in  the  interests 
of  our  public  system  of  education.  There  is  at  present  little  opportunity  for  a 
youth  desiring  to  enter  business  life  to  get  any  systematic  assistance  in  preparing 
himself  for  his  future  career,  if  he  desires  or  expects  to  engage  in  anything  but 
clerical  work.  The  old  system  of  training  young  men  in  the  great  business  houses 
has  almost  completely  disappeared,  even  in  those  places  of  our  country  where  it 
may  have  existed,  while  it  can  hardly  be  said  ever  to  have  existed  at  all  in  most 
places  in  this  country.  Even  in  the  old  countries  (England,  Germany  and  France) 
it  has  broken  down  like  the  apprenticeship  system  in  the  trades,  and  at  present 
the  only  possible  substitute  for  it  seems  to  be  the  properly  organized  commercial 
school.  There  is  at  present  a  special  reason  why  we  in  the  United  States  should 
provide  facilities  for  adequate  education  along  mercantile  lines,  at  least  in  the 
narrow  sense  of  the  term.  We  are  rapidly  nearing  the  point  in  our  manufactur- 
ing industry  when  we  may  expect  to  compete  with  England,  Germany  and  France 
in  foreign  markets.  In  this  field  of  enterprise  England  is  at  a  great  advantage 
because  of  the  better  training  and  education  of  their  youth,  who  enter  their  busi- 
ness houses  in  foreign  countries.  If  we  wish  to  find  such  competition  successful, 
we  must  be  able  to  find  a  ready  supply  of  trained  men  for  foreign  correspondence 
and  services;  men  who  have  had  systematic  training  in  foreign  languages  and  in 
the  geography  and  industries  of  foreign  countries.  Such  a  training  it  is  the 
business  of  a  commercial  high  school  to  give." 

In  1900  commercial  studies,  including  commercial  geography,  commercial  law, 
the  science  and  art  of  accounting,  and  stenography  and  typewriting,  were  in- 
troduced into  the  course  of  several  high  schools ;  the  interest  in  commercial  studies 
has  steadily  increased  since  they  became  part  of  the  course.  Plans  for  a  new 
building,  to  be  used  as  a  high  school  of  commerce  and  to  be  located  near  the  down 
town  district,  are  now  being  considered  by  the  board  of  education. 

A  further  step  in  expanding  the  high  school  course  was  taken  when  in  1909 
domestic  science  classes  for  girls  were  introduced  into  several  high  schools.  A 
supervisor  of  the  department  of  household  arts  was  elected,  to  direct  the  work  in 
all  the  public  schools.  Formerly  this  department,  in  the  grades,  had  been  in  charge 
of  the  supervisor  of  manual  training. 

HIGH     SCHOOL    ATHLETICS 

The  regulation  by  school  authorities  of  interscholastic  high  school  athletics  was 
undertaken  about  fifteen  years  ago,  when  the  Cook  County  High  School  Athletic 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  305 

league  was  organized,  in  which  the  governing  body  is  a  board  of  control,  consist- 
ing of  one  teacher  from  each  high  school  in  the  league,  elected  by  those  in  the 
school  who  are  interested  in  athletics.  This  organization  endeavors  to  safeguard 
the  interests  both  of  the  school  and  the  pupil,  by  demanding  of  members  of  the 
team  a  certain  standard  of  scholarship,  by  enforcing  medical  examination  of 
athletic  candidates,  by  considering  the  expressed  wishes  of  parents  regarding  the 
players'  participation  in  contests,  and  by  providing  a  faculty  representative  of 
each  team  at  all  contests. 

KINDERGARTENS 

Kindergartens  were  introduced  into  the  Chicago  schools  through  outside  effort 
and  pressure,  as  in  the  case  of  manual  training.  Private  kindergartens  had  existed 
in  the  city  since  the  first  one  was  established  here  in  1867.  In  1888  the  Froebel 
association  requested  the  board  of  education  to  grant  them  the  use  of  a  room  in 
one  of  the  school  buildings.  Then  the  Froebel  association  and  the  Free  Kinder- 
garten association  asked  for  the  use  of  other  rooms  in  public  schools,  and  when, 
by  1892,  several  of  these  kindergartens  had  been  established  and  their  value  proved, 
the  board  was  asked,  and  consented,  to  take  charge  of  them.  Many  requests  were 
made  to  establish  kindergartens  in  different  parts  of  the  city,  but  the  board  has 
never  been  able  to  grant  all  of  them,  because,  with  chronic  lack  of  seating  space 
for  children  of  elementary  school  age,  it  has  seemed  unjust  to  these  latter  pupils 
to  provide  first  for  kindergartens. 

By  190-1  there  were  118  schools  having  kindergarten  rooms,  with  an  attend- 
ance of  about  10,000  children  between  the  ages  of  four  and  six.  The  accommoda- 
tion of  so  many  pupils  compared  with  room  space  is  the  result  of  the  adoption, 
in  1901-1902,  of  the  two  session  plan,  whereby  two  sets  of  kindergarten  pupils 
are  taught  by  the  same  teacher,  one  in  the  morning  and  the  other  in  the  afternoon. 
The  number  of  children  of  kindergarten  age  in  that  year  was  about  70,000,  of  whom 
about  50,000,  it  was  estimated,  would  apply  for  admission  to  kindergartens  were 
they  given  the  opportunity.  The  reason  for  the  insufficient  accommodation  lay  in 
the  fact  that  to  meet  the  demand  in  that  year,  400  rooms  then  used  for  pupils 
over  six  years  of  age  would  have  to  be  given  up.  Thus  it  would  have  been  neces- 
sary to  build  new  school  buildings  to  the  extent  of  400  additional  rooms,  at  an 
estimated  cost  of  $3,200,000.  With  this  obvious  deterrent  to  remedying  the  con- 
dition, the  only  expedient  plan  was  to  extend  the  work  gradually  as  the  board 
could  find  the  means  to  do  so,  with  the  policy  of  locating  the  new  kindergartens  in 
the  poorer  parts  of  the  city,  where  educational  influences  of  all  kinds  are  most 
needed,  and  where  children  below  six  years  of  age  spend  the  most  of  their  time 
on  the  street,  in  alleys  and  on  dark  stairways,  uncared  for  and  undisciplined.  The 
influence  of  the  kindergarten  children  from  these  districts  of  the  city  is  noticeable 
in  introducing  new  elements  of  refinement  and  cleanliness  into  the  home  and 
neighborhood.  "In  some  of  the  poorer  districts  of  the  city,"  we  read  in  the  school 
report  for  1901,  "the  kindergarten  has  a  distinct  value  in  addition  to  that  usually 
considered.  This  value  lies  in  its  utility  in  teaching  children  of  foreign  parentage 
the  English  language.  Experience  in  this  city  seems  to  show  that  the  kindergarten, 
with  its  freedom  of  intercourse  between  teachers  and  children,  is  a  much  more 
effective  agent  than  the  primary  school  in  teaching  the  English  language.  Chil- 

Vol.  1—20 


306  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

dren  come  out  of  our  kindergartens,  after  a  single  year's  experience,  able  to  speak 
the  language  well  and  get  along  as  well  as  their  neighbors.  As  we  extend  the 
kindergarten  privileges  in  the  city,  such  poorer  districts,  with  their  non-English 
speaking  population,  should  be  accommodated  first.  By  means  of  the  kinder- 
garten we  shall  practically  lengthen  the  instruction  of  the  child  in  such  localities 
by  a  full  year,  as  he  will  then  be  able  to  enter  the  primary  school  and  complete 
the  work  with  his  class;  while,  without  this  kindergarten  training,  or  the  train- 
ing in  the  use  of  the  English  language,  he  is  almost  invariably  compelled  to 
remain  two  or  more  years  in  the  first  grade.  The  policy  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion in  giving  preference  to  such  localities  in  establishing  new  kindergartens  is 
unquestionably  the  right  one."  There  are  now  eighty  or  ninety  kindergartens  open 
in  the  city. 

The  observation  in  the  schools  of  a  number  of  national  holidays  was  due  to 
the  initiative  of  outside  organizations.  The  celebration  of  Decoration  day  was 
begun  in  1887;  the  memorial  exercises  were  instituted  at  the  suggestion  of  the 
women's  branch  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  At  the  request  of  the  Trade 
and  Labor  Assembly  the  schools  were  closed  Labor  day;  and  the  Union  League 
club  directed  the  observing  of  Washington's  birthday.  In  1888  the  Patriotic  Order 
of  the  Sons  of  America  presented  the  principal  schools  with  flags,  and  this  led  to 
a  decision  on  the  part  of  the  board  to  provide  a  flag  and  flagstaff  for  every  school 
building. 

FIRST    WOMAN    MEMBER    OF    BOARD   OF    EDUCATION 

A  woman  was  first  given  a  place  on  the  board  of  education  in  1889,  when  the 
mayor  appointed  Mrs.  Ellen  Mitchell,  the  choice  of  the  Chicago  Women's  club. 
This  appointment,  contrary  to  the  mayor's  policy  regarding  the  appointing  of 
board  members  which  had  hitherto  been  taken  for  granted,  had  been  effected  by 
agitation  which  took  the  form  of  personal  interview  of  committees  with  the  mayor, 
petitions  circulated  among  business  men,  and  exerting  of  all  possible  personal  in- 
fluence to  bring  about  the  appointment.  It  has  been  in  general  the  policy  of  the 
mayor  since  then  to  appoint  one  or  more  women  to  the  school  board,  though  in 
certain  years  there  has  been  no  woman  on  the  board. 

With  the  annexation  of  Hyde  Park  to  the  city  in  1889  the  responsibilities  of 
the  board  of  education  were  greatly  increased.  The  new  districts  in  its  charge 
included  30,000  children  and  700  teachers. 

MORE    SCHOOL    BUILDINGS    NECESSARY 

At  the  death  of  Superintendent  Rowland  in  1890  Mr.  Albert  G.  Lane,  former 
county  superintendent  of  schools,  was  appointed  to  take  his  place.  He  found  two 
serious  evils  in  the  schools:  the  usual  inadequate  school  room  accommodation,  and 
the  lack  of  training  for  new  teachers  who  were  entering  the  Chicago  schools.  The 
overcrowding  was  so  great  that  over  15,000  children  were  in  half-day  divisions, 
and  many  pupils  were  in  rented  rooms,  which  were  usually  unsanitary,  not  having 
been  built  for  school  purposes.  To  accommodate  the  children  properly  at  least 
twenty  new  schools  should  have  been  built  every  year  instead  of  the  eleven  or 
twelve  that  were  built.  Superintendent  Lane's  recommendations  for  new  buildings 
were  urgent. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  307 


NORMAL    SCHOOL 


The  other  serious  deficiency  in  the  system — the  fact  that  new  teachers  were 
without  technical  training — seemed  hard  to  remedy,  for  ever  since  the  discontinu- 
ing of  the  Normal  school  in  1877  there  had  not  been  in  Chicago  the  means  of  pre- 
paring those  who  wished  to  teach.  Accordingly  many  of  the  teachers  were  young 
girls  who.,  with  only  a  high  school  education,  and  no  other  training,  had  become 
grade  teachers.  By  the  "cadet  system,"  adopted  to  improve  this  condition,  a  new 
teacher  served  for  a  time  as  assistant  or  substitute  to  an  experienced  teacher.  To 
offer  more  adequate  training  an  afternoon  class  of  cadets  was  organized  for  six 
months  of  study,  from  which  good  results  were  at  once  perceptible.  A  final  solu- 
tion of  the  problem  was  arrived  at  when  in  the  winter  of  1895-6  the  Cook  county 
commissioners  offered  to  make  over  to  the  city  the  Cook  County  Normal  school  and 
all  its  property  if  the  board  would  assume  the  management  and  maintenance  of 
this  institution.  After  careful  consideration  the  offer  was  accepted  by  the  board, 
and  the  Normal  school  became  part  of  the  school  system,  known  as  the  Chicago 
Teachers  College. 

The  Cook  County  Normal  school,  founded  in  1868,  had,  for  several  years  before 
being  taken  over  by  the  city,  been  in  charge  of  Colonel  Francis  W.  Parker,  whose 
enthusiastic  and  progressive  work  had  brought  him  a  national  reputation  as  a  man 
having  broad  ideas  and  a  stimulating  influence  on  the  teachers  working  with  him. 
At  the  transfer  of  the  school  to  city  ownership  Colonel  Parker  and  his  faculty 
were  reelected  by  the  board  of  education  to  continue  in  charge  of  the  Normal 
school.  Admission  to  the  school  was  limited  to  those  graduates  of  high  schools  who 
reside  in  Chicago  having  a  required  standard  of  scholarship;  also  to  graduates  of 
Cook  County  High  schools,  who  are  recommended  by  the  county  superintendent  of 
schools.  Graduates  from  the  Normal  school  are  assigned  to  cadet  (practice  teach- 
ing) in  the  schools  for  a  certain  time,  and  if  successful  in  practice,  are  given  reg- 
ular positions.  The  Training  School  for  Teachers,  established  in  1893,  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Normal  school  building  in  Englewood  when  this  latter  property  became 
a  part  of  the  city  school  system.  In  order  to  furnish  material  upon  which  the 
normal  students  may  exercise  their  growing  pedagogic  powers,  normal  practice 
schools  are  maintained  in  connection  with  the  Normal  school,  and  the  pupils  of 
these  schools  are  taught  by  the  normal  students,  under  the  supervision  of  members 
of  the  faculty.  In  1899  a  large  building  with  assembly  hall  and  manual  training 
shop  was  erected  for  the  Normal  Practice  school. 

The  resignation  of  Colonel  Parker  in  1899  left  the  school  without  a  principal 
for  a  year,  until  his  place  was  filled  by  the  election,  as  his  successor,  of  Dr.  Arnold 
Tompkins,  president  of  Illinois  Normal  university.  Before  accepting  this  posi- 
tion Dr.  Tompkins  had  become  well  known  to  the  teachers  of  the  country  through 
his  eloquence  as  an  orator  in  the  exposition  of  educational  ideals.  His  task  now 
was  to  enter  the  Chicago  Normal  school  as  a  successor  to  a  well  loved  educator 
whose  ideals  were  jealously  guarded  against  any  possible  changes  to  be  made  by  a 
stranger  in  the  school.  He  had,  besides,  to  meet  the  difficulties  of  a  surplusage  of 
teachers  in  the  city  and  of  a  long  waiting  list  of  cadets;  of  a  new  program  in 
the  school  which  increased  the  requirements  for  graduation,  and  of  financial  limita- 
tions which  forced  the  board  of  education  to  give  up  the  payment  of  the  $200  a  year 


308  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

to  cadets  while  on  the  waiting  list.  In  spite  of  all  this,  Dr.  Tompkins  undertook 
the  work  full  of  hope,  his  ambition  being  to  see  the  Teachers'  college  thoroughly 
established,  equipped  with  a  good  faculty,  and  prepared  to  train  all  classes  of 
teachers  needed  for  the  schools  of  Chicago.  In  his  report  for  1904  Dr.  Tomp- 
kins indicated  the  purpose  of  the  school:  "A  strong  endeavor  has  been  made  on 
the  part  of  the  Normal  school  to  establish  itself  at  the  head  of  the  public  school 
system  as  an  institution  capable  of  giving  help  in  every  line  of  school  work."  His 
death  occurred  in  1905,  just  as  he  was  about  to  see  the  realization  of  these  hopes, 
which  were  materialized  later. 

The  length  of  the  Normal  course  was  increased  in  1899  from  one  to  two  years, 
and  in  1901  the  first  departments  for  the  training  of  special  teachers  were  opened. 
Soon  after  the  lengthening  of  the  course  to  two  years  the  superintendent  of  schools 
was  recommending  its  extension  to  three  years  to  include  adequate  preparation  of 
the  subjects  in  which  a  teacher  must  now  be  trained.  Still  greater  demands  were 
made  on  the  students  when  in  1902  the  entrance  requirements  were  greatly  in- 
creased in  order  to  lessen  the  number  of  applications.  This  policy  was  made  neces- 
sary by  the  fact  that  lack  of  funds  had  forced  the  board  of  education  to  reduce 
expenses,  cut  down  the  list  of  teachers,  and  decrease  salaries.  As  was  foreseen, 
too  soon  the  long  list  of  unemployed  teachers  would  result  in  smaller  entering  classes, 
the  absence  from  these  classes  of  the  more  bright  and  energetic  students,  and 
there  would  be  a  deficiency  both  in  numbers  and  standard  of  excellence  of  the 
graduates.  This  was  the  dilemma  which  caused  the  added  requirements  both  for 
entrance  and  graduation. 

BUILDING   FOR   NORMAL   SCHOOL 

In  1903  work  was  begun  on  a  new  normal  school  building  011  the  grounds  of 
the  former  school,  to  take  the  place  of  the  outworn  and  outgrown  building  which 
had  been  erected  in  Englewood  by  the  county  in  1868,  a  year  after  the  Normal  school 
was  established,  with  D.  S.  Wentworth  as  principal.  After  the  work  was  begun, 
an  injunction  suit  was  brought  against  the  board  of  education  to  restrain  them 
from  erecting  this  new  Normal  school  building.  The  complainants,  certain  citizens 
and  tax  payers  of  Chicago,  maintained  that  the  school  tax  fund,  already  inadequate 
to  make  proper  provision  for  the  seating  and  teaching  of  all  eligible  pupils  of 
Chicago,  should  not  be  used  for  erecting  a  new  Normal  school  building.  The  com- 
plainants maintained  "that  the  legislature  has  not,  either  expressly  or  by  neces- 
sary implication,  given  any  power  to  the  Board  of  Education  in  cities  having  a 
population  exceeding  100,000  inhabitants  to  conduct  Normal  schools  or  to  erect 
buildings  for  such  schools,  or  to  apply  the  school  fund  or  any  part  thereof  in  pay- 
ing the  costs  of  conducting  such  schools  or  erecting  such  buildings."  Furthermore 
it  was  complained  that  "the  erection  of  said  costly  new  building  is  or  will  be  a 
wholly  unnecessary  and  unjustifiable  waste  of  the  property  of  said  public  schools 
and  of  said  public  school  fund  of  the  said  City  of  Chicago." 

The  suit  was  one  of  great  public  interest.  It  was  finally  decided  that  the  board 
of  education  has  the  right  to  conduct  a  Normal  school  to  train  teachers  for  its 
public  schools.  The  new  Normal  school  building  was  completed,  and  opened  in 
1905. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  309 

MRS.   ELLA    FLAGG  YOUNG   BECOMES  PRINCIPAL    OF    NORMAL   SCHOOL 

Iii  the  summer  of  1905  Dr.  Tompkins  died,  and  Mrs.  Ella  Flagg  Young  was 
elected  to  succeed  him  as  principal  of  the  Normal  school.  For  many  years  Mrs. 
Young  had  been  a  part  of  the  Chicago  public  school  system,  and  well  understood 
the  questions  involved  in  a  school  whose  purpose  was  the  preparation  of  those 
who  must  maintain  the  high  grade  of  that  system.  She  found  the  Normal  school 
and  its  practice  schools  in  excellent  condition,  and  in  need  of  continued  strong 
and  progressive  surveillance,  which  she  was  fully  able  to  undertake. 

Among  the  important  problems  to  be  solved  was  the  question  of  maintaining 
the  balance  between  the  demand  of  teachers  for  the  Chicago  schools  and  the  supply 
of  such  teachers.  Mrs.  Young's  simple  and  logical  suggestions  concerning  the 
problem,  as  found  in  her  report  for  1905,  written  when  she  was  principal,  shows 
the  forthright  method  that  characterizes  her  coping  with  difficulties.  She  wrote, 
"the  Normal  school  is  a  professional  school  established  for  the  purpose  of  prepar- 
ing for  the  City  of  Chicago  well-trained  teachers  who,  experience  has  shown,  cannot 
be  secured  in  sufficient  numbers  unless  there  be  a  city  training  school;  the  school 
is  not  established  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  specially  trained  teachers  to  the 
State  of  Illinois  or  other  states ;  to  prepare  more  teachers  than  the  city  needs  is 
to  dissipate  the  appropriation  for  schools  by  diverting  it  from  its  legitimate  pur- 
pose and  aim;  at  least  99  per  cent  of  the  young  men  and  young  women  entering 
the  Chicago  Normal  school  are  residents  of  the  city  and  desire  to  continue  as  such. 
If  the  school  were  given  to  overproduction  of  graduates,  many  of  the  most  enter- 
prising among  these  young  people  would,  in  preference  to  taking  up  their  resi- 
dence as  teachers  in  villages  and  towns  outside,  enter  other  professions  or  lines  of 
industry  in  the  city — a  condition  that  would  lower  the  percentage  of  energetic  and 
capable  among  the  students  admitted.  .  .  .  The  solution  of  the  problem  of 
supply  and  demand  lies,  I  believe,  in  an  advance  of  the  standard  for  admission 
of  experienced  teachers  applying  for  the  certificate  to  teach  in  Chicago,  and  also 
of  applicants  for  admission  to  the  normal  school." 

NORMAL  EXTENSION  WORK 

An  important  branch  of  the  normal  work  done  by  the  Chicago  teachers  is  that 
studying  which  is  undertaken  as  so-called  normal  extension  work.  Classes  were 
begun  in  1902,  when  the  board  of  education  offered  to  furnish  to  teachers  oppor- 
tunities of  carrying  on  regular  academic  and  professional  work  under  the  direction 
of  instructors,  and  at  times  and  places  convenient  for  the  teachers.  A  short 
summer  session  of  the  Chicago  Normal  school  was  provided,  to  be  free  to  teachers 
of  the  Chicago  schools.  Many  teachers  have  taken  up  this  work,  most  of  them 
for  self-improvement,  and  a  few  for  the  purpose  of  preparing  themselves  for  the 
promotional  examinations  given,  (though  there  is  no  formal  connection  between 
the  extension  work  and  promotional  examinations.)  Attendance  at  the  classes  is 
entirely  voluntary;  the  work  is  designed  especially  to  reinspire  the  old  teachers 
with  interest  and  enthusiasm  for  their  work,  and  to  equip  them  with  the  most 
modern  ideas  in  methods  of  teaching.  The  results  have  been  unexpectedly  gratify- 
ing, and  it  has  even  been  said  by  certain  principals  that  the  whole  spirit  of  their 
schools  has  been  changed  by  the  work  of  the  Normal  extension  classes.  It  is  gen- 


310  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

erally  believed  that  ordinarily  teachers  reach  the  maximum  of  efficiency  within  five 
years  after  they  begin  to  teach.  To  prevent  deterioration,  therefore,  there  must 
be  persistent  study  in  some  academic  or  professional  line  of  work,  and  to  strengthen 
the  inclination  toward  such  advanced  work,  the  normal  extension  classes  are  offered 
by  the  school  management;  the  results  have  been  found  to  justify  fully  the  effort 
and  money  expended.  As  the  work  developed,  it  was  thought  just  to  the  teachers 
to  keep  a  record  of  the  work  done  by  them  in  systematic  study  classes.  The  ex- 
tension work  was  organized  with  a  director,  and  became  a  regular  part  of  the 
Normal  school. 

ADMISSION    TO    NORMAL    SCHOOL 

Any  resident  of  the  city  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Chicago  high  schools  or  a 
school  of  equal  grade,  may  enter  the  Chicago  Normal  school  on  passing  the  en- 
trance examination,  which  includes  also  a  physical  examination.  The  physical 
examination  is  given  to  prevent  the  entrance  into  the  school  system  of  persons 
physically  unfit  for  doing  good  service  as  teachers,  because  of  defects  of  sight  or 
hearing,  or  on  account  of  deformities,  or  having  contracted  some  progressive 
destructive  disease.  When  the  course  at  the  Normal  school  has  been  completed  and 
the  physical  examination  has  been  passed,  the  graduate  is  given  a  certificate  to 
teach  in  the  elementary  schools,  and  is  assigned  as  a  cadet.  For  those  who  wish 
to  prepare  as  special  teachers  of  the  blind,  the  sub-normal,  or  of  such  special  sub- 
jects as  domestic  science,  for  instance,  there  are  extra  courses  which  can  be  taken 
at  the  Normal  school. 

Cadet  service  is  made  up  of  two  kinds  of  work:  practice  teaching,  the  teaching 
of  classes  under  the  direction  of  the  principal  or  room  teacher;  and  substituting 
in  place  of  teachers  absent  on  account  of  sickness  or  for  other  reasons.  After  four 
months  of  teaching  the  cadet  is  placed  on  the  list  of  those  eligible  for  appointment, 
arranged  in  the  order  of  merit,  according  to  a  mark  depending  one-half  on  the 
scholarship  average  at  the  time  of  graduation  from  the  Normal  school,  and  one- 
half  on  the  record  made  while  serving  as  a  cadet.  The  list  of  eligible  teachers  is 
being  constantly  revised  in  order  to  take  due  account  of  new  applicants  and  the 
latest  efficiency  records  obtained  by  former  teachers  seeking  reappointment. 

THE   "WAR   ON   FADS" 

Those  who  were  reading  the  Chicago  papers  in  1893  will  remember  the  feeling  i 
and  discussion  that  were  aroused  over  the   "fads,"   as   many   called  them,   which  j 
were  among  the  subjects  taught  in  the  schools.     A  motion  was  made  in  a  meeting: 
of  the  board  to  abolish  clay  modeling.     Certain  members  were  kindled  by  this  sug-j 
gestive  proposal,  and  other  motions  were  made  to  abolish  one  and  another  "fad" ! 
until,  in  the  fervor  of  iconoclasm,  even  drawing,  music,  physical  culture  and  Ger- ' 
man  were  threatened.     The  public  became  more  interested  and  expressive  on  this| 
subject  than  ever  before  on  any  school  question.     Petitions  were  signed,  resolu- 
tions were  adopted  by  societies,  letters  were  written  to  the  newspapers,  and  there; 
were   even  public  meetings   for  its   discussion.      The  final  settlement   was   a   com- 
promise,  and   the   courses   of    study    were   consequently   rearranged.      The    course! 
adopted  conforms  in  many  respects  to  that  one  mapped  out  by  Superintendent  Wells 
in  1861.     Mr.  Wells'  educational  theories  were  far  in  advance  of  his  time,  a  fact 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  3H 

which  is  evident  in  comparing  the  graded  course  which  he  arranged  with  the  modern 
course  of  study  as  it  stands.  One  of  the  good  results  of  the  "war  on  fads"  was  that 
it  aroused  the  public  interest  in  school  matters,  and  caused  them  to  make  known 
their  opinions. 

PUBLIC    INSTRUCTION    FOR  THE    BLIND 

In  the  1897  report  appears  the  brief  statement:  "The  need  of  a  suitable  insti- 
tution to  instruct  the  blind  children  of  Chicago,  without  sending  them  to  the  State 
Institution  for  the  Blind  at  Jacksonville,  has  been  presented  to  the  Common  Coun- 
cil, which  set  apart  $50,000  out  of  the  school  tax  to  be  used  in  purchasing  a  site 
and  erecting  a  building.  This  school  should  also  be  sustained  and  managed  by  the 
State."  The  appropriation  was  made  in  1893,  but  no  plan  was  considered  other 
than  building  within  the  city  a  school  with  dormitory  adjoining.  This  was  de- 
cided to  be  unwise,  because  in  such  a  school,  blind  children  are  educated  as  mem- 
bers of  a  distinct  class,  apart  from  the  ordinary  conditions  of  community  life,  and 
they  find  it  difficult  to  adjust  themselves  to  these  conditions  on  leaving  the  school. 
The  plan  was  finally  approved  of  treating  the  blind  children  as  the  deaf  chil- 
dren at  the  city  schools  are  treated — giving  them  the  opportunities  to  mingle  as 
much  as  possible  with  normal  children,  through  their  being  taught  at  centers 
established  in  the  regular  schools.  The  work  was  begun  in  1900.  A  supervisor 
and  four  teachers  were  employed  and  three  centers  in  as  many  schools  were  opened. 
The  first  year  there  was  a  total  enrollment  of  twenty-three  children,  at  a  per 
capita  cost  to  the  city  of  $166.95;  in  1910  the  total  enrollment  was  forty-four,  and 
the  number  of  teachers  employed  was  four. 

The  contact  of  the  blind  children  with  seeing  children  in  classroom  work  has 
proved  of  great  value  and,  in  general,  after  the  second  grade  the  blind  pupils  have 
taken  an  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  school.  In  the  elementary  grades  these 
pupils  have  a  special  teacher,  but  in  the  high  school  they  work  in  the  regular 
classes,  with  occasional  individual  help  from  the  regular  and  special  teachers. 
Yet  even  in  the  elementary  grades  the  blind  children  are  on  the  first  day  enrolled 
and  seated  in  one  of  the  regular  school  rooms,  although  they  may  be  obliged  at 
first  to  spend  much  time  in  the  room  of  the  special  teacher.  The  duties  of  the  spe- 
cial teacher  are  many  and  varied.  She  must  correct  the  habits  of  inattention,  lack 
of  concentration,  and  timidity  that  she  finds  in  many  of  the  pupils  who  come  to 
her.  She  must  teach  them  to  read  and  write  the  Braille  system.  She  must  assist 
them  in  the  preparation  of  different  lessons  for  recitation  in  the  regular  class  room, 
and  must  see  that  all  written  work  and  examinations  given  by  regular  teachers 
are  reproduced  in  ink  and  returned  to  the  room  teacher  for  correction. 

The  power  to  use  the  hands  skillfully  is  one  of  the  chief  needs  of  the  pupils, 
and  is  given  by  systematic  work  in  construction  in  the  grades  of  each  center,  the 
principal  materials  used  being  raffia  and  beads.  In  the  upper  grades  the  boys 
have  been  given  the  manual  training  course  of  the  elementary  schools,  and  the 
girls  sewing,  knitting,  crocheting  and  embroidery.  Instruction  in  reading  and 
writing  of  the  Braille  system  is  begun  at  once  and  continued  until  the  pupil  is 
old  enough  to  use  the  ordinary  typewriter.  In  the  regular  class  room  the  blind 
pupil  reads  his  Braille  reader  with  sufficient  speed  to  follow  the  children  using  the 
ordinary  copy,  and  to  take  his  turn  in  reading  aloud.  In  his  work  he  is  marked 


312  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

according  to  the  same  standard  as  are  the  other  children.     There  is  now  a  super- 
visor of  schools  for  the  blind. 

The  apparatus  of  the  printing  department,  consisting  of  a  stereotyping 
machine,  a  printing  press  and  a  map  machine,  is  in  one  of  the  schools.  It  is  the 
purpose  of  the  printing  department  to  keep  the  pupils  supplied  with  Braille  copies 
of  the  books  used  by  the  seeing  children.  The  entire  work  of  stereotyping  the 
plates  and  of  printing  and  binding  the  books  used  by  the  blind  pupils  is  done  here. 

SUB-NORMAL   PUPILS 

There  is  now  in  the  school  system  of  Chicago  a  department  for  instructing  the 
children  who  are  too  far  below  the  average  in  intelligence  to  take  part  with  profit 
in  the  work  of  their  classes.  Before  there  was  provision  for  them  in  the  schools, 
or  a  compulsory  education  law,  there  were  several  hundred  school  children  in  the 
city  who  were  in  no  school,  and  were  receiving  no  training  or  instruction.  In 
several  instances  parents  had  had  applications  on  file  at  the  State  Asylum  for 
Feeble  Minded  at  Lincoln,  Illinois,  but  could  not  secure  admission  for  their  chil- 
dren because  there  was  no  room  for  them  there.  Recommendations  were  made 
to  the  board  of  education  from  time  to  time  to  make  provision  for  the  proper  in- 
struction of  sub-normal  pupils,  and  in  1905  Superintendent  Cooley  wrote  in  his 
report:  "It  seems  only  just  that,  as  the  state  levies  taxes  to  provide  for  the  spe- 
cial education  of  various  classes  of  defective  children,  and  Chicago  pays  about  75 
per  cent  of  all  such  taxes,  the  state  ought  to  establish  and  maintain,  in  Chicago, 
schools  or  homes  for  the  training  and  instruction  of  the  deaf,  blind,  feeble  minded, 
and  the  helpless  cripples.  This  would  enable  the  Board  of  Education  to  give  all 
its  energies  and  resources  to  the  education  and  proper  training  of  the  great  mul- 
titude of  normal  children."  For  fifteen  years  before  this  was  written,  there  were 
in  the  school  ungraded  rooms  to  which  the  so-called  feeble  minded  children  were 
sent,  not  always  with  good  reason.  Recently,  with  the  help  of  the  Child  Study 
department,  established  in  1899,  the  sub-normal  pupils  have  been  classified,  placed 
in  their  proper  grades  in  the  rooms  assigned  such  classes  as  centers,  and  specially 
trained  teachers  placed  in  charge  of  them.  In  the  latest  report  issued  by  the  board 
of  education  recommendations  are  made  by  the  district  superintendent  supervising 
the  department  that  will  work  further  improvements  in  the  training  of  this  class 
of  pupils,  many  of  whom,  it  is  felt,  have  already  been  saved  from  a  life  of  use- 
lessness  and  even  crime  by  the  attention  given  them  in  special  classes. 

ALBERT   G.    LANE 

Albert  G.  Lane  was  superintendent  of  Chicago  public  schools  from  December, 
1891,  to  July,  1898.  He  had  spent  his  life  in  teaching  in  Chicago  schools,  first 
as  principal  for  ten  years  of  the  old  Franklin  school;  then,  from  1868  to  1891,  as 
superintendent  of  Cook  County  schools,  with  the  exception  of  four  years  in  which 
he  engaged  in  banking;  from  1891  to  1898  as  city  superintendent,  and  from  the 
latter  year  until  his  death  in  1906  as  district  superintendent.  He  was  active  and 
influential  in  the  affairs  of  the  State  Teachers'  Association,  of  which  he  was  at  one 
time  president,  and  contributed  greatly  to  the  success  of  the  National  Education 
Association  as  a  member  for  many  years  of  its  executive  committee.  He  had  an 


MRS.  ELLA  FLAGG  YOUNG 

Superintendent  of  Chicago  Public  Schools 
from    11)09    to    the    present    time 


Original  owned  by  Chicago  Historical  Society 
WILLIAM    II.    WELLS 


Photograph  by  Sykes 

ALBERT  G.   LANE 


Superintendent  of  Chicago  Public  Schools      Superintendent  of  Chicago  Public  Schools 
from    1850   to    1864  from   1891    to    1898 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  313 

intimate  knowledge  of  the  school  affairs  of  city,  county  and  state,  and  this,  added 
to  his  sound  judgment,  his  wide  acquaintance  and  his  unselfish  devotion  to  the 
schools,  made  him  almost  indispensable  as  a  counselor  to  his  successors  in  the  city 
office.  This  service  was  freely  rendered  and  fully  acknowledged.  He  was  a  man 
of  high  honor  and  courage  and  enjoyed  the  genuine  and  wide  respect  of  his 
fellow  citizens  as  well  as  the  confidence  of  the  teachers  among  whom  he  worked. 

RECENT     SUPERINTENDENTS 

Following  Mr.  Lane  as  superintendent  of  schools  was  Dr.  E.  Benjamin  Andrews, 
formerly  president  of  Brown  university,  who  occupied  the  position  for  two  years. 
Dr.  Andrews  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Edward  G.  Cooley,  who  for  nine  years  was 
superintendent,  and  in  1909  resigned  to  become  president  of  the  publishing  firm 
of  D.  C.  Heath  and  Company.  Mrs.  Ella  Flagg  Young,  the  present  superintendent 
of  schools,  was  elected  in  Mr.  Cooley 's  place,  the  first  woman  to  hold  the  position. 
Under  her  active  and  progressive  leadership  original  and  radical  improvements  are 
being  brought  about  in  the  public  school  system  of  the  city. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

MEN  OF  THE  THIRTIES— JOHN  WENTWORTH,  AND  OTHERS 

SOME      OLD      DIRECTORIES DIRECTORY      OF      1839 INTERESTING      NAMES GLIMPSES      OF 

PIONEER    RESIDENTS DIRECTORY    OF    1843 JOHN    WENTWORTH ARRIVAL    IN    CHI- 
CAGO— WENTWORTH'S  civic  CAREER — BECOMES  PROPRIETOR  OF  THE  "DEMOCRAT"- 

ELECTED     MEMBER     OF      CONGRESS MAYOR     OF      CHICAGO ENTERTAINS     PRINCE     OF 

WALES    IN    1860 WENTWORTH    INVESTS    IN    LAND    AT    SUMMIT HUMOROUS    EPISODES 

IN    HIS    CAREER RINGING    WAR    TIME    PROCLAMATION REPLY    TO    VALLANDIGHAM 

WENTWORTH   A    GREAT    FIGURE    IN    THE    HISTORY    OF    CHICAGO CONTEMPORARY    ESTI- 
MATES  WILLIAM      B.      OGDEN ELECTED      FIRST      MAYOR      OF      CHICAGO BECOMES      A 

RAILWAY    MAGNATE DIARY    OF    WALTER    BROWN    IN    1844 IMPRESSIONS    OF    A    TRAV- 
ELER   FROM    MAINE CONDITIONS    IN    CHICAGO LUTHER    NICHOLS. 

SOME    OLD    DIRECTORIES 

STUDY  of  old  directories  brings  to  light  many  curious  references  to 
persons  and  conditions  connected  with  the  history  of  the  years  they  stand 
for.  An  examination  of  the  entire  series  of  Chicago  directories  would 
be  an  appalling  task,  though  it  would  be  a  fruitful  field  for  the  re- 
searches of  a  specialist.  We  may,  however,  glance  at  a  few  of  the  more 
important  ones.  The  first  directory  of  Chicago  having  any  pretensions  to  com- 
pleteness was  prepared  by  James  W.  Norris,  an  attorney,  in  1843,  and  was  pub- 
lished by  William  Ellis  and  Robert  Fergus.  This  directory  will  be  noticed  later 
in  the  course  of  this  chapter. 

There  is,  however,  a  directory  of  Chicago  for  the  year  1839,  which,  rather 
oddly,  was  not  published  until  1876,  at  this  latter  date  appearing  as  Publication 
Number  2,  of  the  Fergus  Historical  Series.  In  the  introduction  to  this  valuable 
publication,  Robert  Fergus  says  that  in  the  year  1839  the  Chicago  Common  Council 
ordered  the  "Laws  and  Ordinances"  of  the  city  to  be  printed  in  pamphlet  form. 
At  the  end  of  the  pamphlet  was  a  six-page  supplement  containing  a  list  of  the 
names  of  business  men,  set  up  by  the  printer  as  the  names  occurred  to  him,  without 
written  "copy"  to  guide  him,  and  without  any  previous  canvassing  whatever.  Nat- 
urally by  such  a  method  many  names  were  omitted.  There  were  no  numbers  in 
use  at  that  time  except  on  Lake  street. 

FERGUS*     DIRECTORY     OF     1839 

Chicago  was  incorporated  as  a  city  on  March  4,  1837,  when  its  population  was 
4170,  and  at  the  time  the  "Laws  and  Ordinances"  was  published  the  city  was 

314 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  315 

still  in  its  infancy.  The  publication,  with  its  six  pages  of  names  at  the  end,  was 
the  first  attempt  made  to  print  a  directory.  In  1876,  Robert  Fergus,  taking  the 
list  comprised  in  the  six  pages  referred  to  as  a  basis,  and  with  the  assistance  of 
many  of  the  old  residents,  compiled  a  "Chicago  Directory  of  1839."  Many  of 
the  names  appear  without  given  names,  and  all  of  them  are  included  in  thirty-one 
pages  having  an  average  of  fifty  names  on  a  page,  a  total  of  about  fifteen  hun- 
dred and  fifty  names.  The  compiling  of  this  directory  may  be  considered  a 
rather  remarkable  feat,  when  it  is  remembered  that  thirty-six  years  had  elapsed, 
and  that  the  names  were  largely  recovered  from  the  memory  of  those  surviving 
that  period. 

INTERESTING     NAMES     RECALLED 

A  few  names  may  here  be  mentioned.  There  is  the  name  of  Isaac  N.  Arnold, 
"attorney  and  counsellor-at-law,"  with  the  address  given  as  "Clark  street."  Arnold 
was  a  member  of  Congress  in  later  years,  a  friend  of  Lincoln,  and  the  writer  of 
a  "Life  of  Lincoln."  Another  lawyer,  Joseph  N.  Balestier,  then  a  young  man 
twenty-five  years  of  age,  is  mentioned  with  the  address,  "24  Clark  street."  Balestier 
was  a  Vermonter  who  resided  in  Chicago  a  few  years  only  and  returned  to  his 
native  state.  He  is  remembered  chiefly  as  being  the  first  of  our  historians,  hav- 
ing delivered  a  lecture  before  the  Chicago  Lyceum  in  1840,  the  title  of  which 
was  the  "Annals  of  Chicago,"  though  the  city  was  yet  scarcely  more  than  three 
years  of  age.  This  lecture  was  published  as  Number  One,  of  the  Fergus  Historical 
Series. 

There  are  four  Beaubiens  mentioned,  Charles  H.,  John  B.,  who  held  the  rank 
of  general  in  the  state  militia,  Mark,  and  Medard,  often  called  Medore.  Other 
French  and  Indians  in  the  population  whose  names  appear  are  the  three  mem- 
bers of  the  La  Framboise  family  (sometimes  appearing  as  one  word,  Laframboise), 
Claude,  Eugene,  and  Joseph.  The  two  latter  are  given  as  "Indian  Chief."  Billy 
Caldwell,  well  known  as  a  chief  among  the  Pottawattomies,  is  mentioned,  and  his 
residence  is  given  as  on  the  North  Branch  of  the  Chicago  River. 

There  are  still  a  few  survivors  of  those  days  among  us  at  the  present  time 
who  no  doubt  are  familiar  with  the  names  in  this  directory,  but  even  the  resi- 
dents of  Chicago  who  can  date  their  arrival  within  two  or  three  decades  will  rec- 
ognize many  of  them  and  the  places  filled  by  them  in  the  affairs  of  the  city  and 
nation.  For  example,  here  is  the  name  of  Henry  W.  Blodgett,  "clerk  for  P.  F. 
W.  Peck,"  who  was  afterwards  United  States  Circuit  judge;  the  names  of  the  old 
time  Bradleys, — Asa  F.  Bradley,  city  surveyor;  Cyrus  P.  Bradley,  clerk  for  Nor- 
ton &  Co.;  David  Bradley,  plow  maker;  David  M.  Bradley,  foreman  of  the  Chi- 
cago Democrat;  and  Timothy  M.  Bradley,  clerk  for  Norton  &  Co.  The  name  of 
Justin  Butterfield,  "attorney,"  appears.  Butterfield  secured  an  appointment  as 
United  States  Land  Commissioner,  an  office  which  Lincoln,  in  1849  made  a  trip 
to  Washington  to  obtain  for  himself,  though  he  failed  in  the  endeavor. 

John  Calhoun.  who  started  the  Democrat  in  1833,  and  sold  it  to  John  Went- 
worth  a  few  years  later,  is  mentioned  as  "county  collector."  Other  names  are: 
Philo  Carpenter,  druggist  on  South  Water  street;  Stephen  F.  Gale,  bookseller  at 
159  Lake  street;  Shubael  D.  Childs,  engraver;  Charles  Cleaver,  soap  and  candles; 
Archibald  Clybourn,  farmer  and  cattle  dealer;  Silas  B.  Cobb,  saddle  and  harness 


816  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

maker;  George  C.   Cook,   afterwards   wholesale  grocer,  clerk   for   Thomas  Church; 
and  Walter  L.  Newberry,  who  afterwards  endowed  the  Newberry  Library. 

We  find  here  the  names  of  all  the  mayors  of  the  city,  past,  present  and  future, 
down  to  the  war  period.  There  are  the  names  of  William  B.  Ogden,  mayor  in 
1837  (the  first  mayor  after  the  incorporation  of  the  city);  Buckner  S.  Morris, 
1838;  Benjamin  W.  Raymond,  1839  and  1842,  dry  goods  merchant  at  122  Lake 
street;  Alexander  Loyd,  1840,  builder;  Francis  C.  Sherman,  1841,  1862  and  1863; 
Augustus  Garrett,  1843  and  1845;  Alson  S.  Sherman,  1844;  John  P.  Chapin, 
1846;  James  Curtiss,  1847  and  1850;  James  H.  Woodworth,  1848  and  1849,  dry 
goods  merchant  at  103  Lake  street;  Walter  S.  Gurnee,  1851  and  1852,  saddlery- 
hardware  at  106  Lake  street;  Charles  M.  Gray,  1853;  Isaac  L.  Milliken,  1854; 
Dr.  Levi  D.  Boone,  1855;  Thomas  Dyer,  1856;  John  Wentworth,  1857  and  1860; 
John  C.  Haines,  1858  and  1859;  and  Julian  S.  Rumsey,  1861.  No  mayors,  hold- 
ing office  at  a  later  date  than  1863,  when  Francis  C.  Sherman  was  mayor  for  the 
third  time,  appear  in  this  directory. 

Some  of  the  young  lawyers,  other  than  those  already  mentioned,  were:  John 
D.  Caton,  afterwards  a  judge  on  the  State  Supreme  bench;  Hugh  T.  Dickey, 
afterwards  judge  of  the  county  court;  Norman  B.  Judd,  afterwards  a  friend  of 
Lincoln's,  and  minister  to  Prussia;  Grant  Goodrich,  prominent  in  Chicago  affairs 
for  fifty-five  years;  S.  Lisle  Smith,  who  died  in  1854  at  the  early  age  of  thirty- 
seven,  having  already  established  a  reputation  as  "one  of  the  most  brilliant  cam- 
paign orators  in  the  West;"  Theophilus  W.  Smith,  then  a  judge  of  the  State 
Supreme  court;  Mark  Skinner,  later  United  States  District  Attorney  under  Presi- 
dent Tyler,  and,  in  1851,  a  judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  Cook  County; 
J.  Young  Scammon,  whose  name  is  met  with  constantly  in  the  city's  annals  through- 
out the  fifty-five  years  of  his  life  in  Chicago;  George  Manierre,  afterwards  judge: 
Thomas  Hoyne,  one  of  Chicago's  most  public  spirited  citizens;  Richard  J.  Hamil- 
ton, whom  Bross  said  was  "the  oldest  permanent  resident"  of  Chicago;  Mahlon 
D.  Ogden,  brother  of  William  B.  Ogden,  the  first  mayor;  Alexander  N.  Fuller- 
ton,  who  later  drifted  away  from  the  practice  of  the  law  into  commercial  life  and 
made  a  fortune  in  the  lumber  business ;  Ebenezer  Peck,  afterwards  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Republican  party  and  a  friend  of  Lincoln;  James  H.  Collins,  who 
in  later  years  was  a  stanch  abolitionist;  and  Henry  Brown,  who  in  1844  published 
a  history  of  Illinois. 

In  a  more  miscellaneous  group  may  be  mentioned  the  names  of  John  Frink. 
of  the  firm  of  Frink  &  Walker,  operating  several  lines  of  stages ;  Russell  E. 
Heacock,  known  as  "Shallow-cut  Heacock,"  because  he  advocated  a  shallower  depth 
for  the  canal  than  that  proposed  by  the  engineers;  Frederick  A.  Howe,  justice  of 
the  peace,  whose  son  of  the  same  name  died  early  in  1911,  after  a  residence  in 
Chicago  of  nearly  seventy-seven  years;  Fernando  Jones,  who  came  to  Chicago  in 
1835,  and  has  resided  here  continuously  since  that  time  and  is  now  hale  and  hearty 
at  the  age  of  ninety-one ;  Captain  David  W.  Hunter,  son-in-law  of  John  Kinzie, 
a  graduate  of  West  Point  Military  Academy,  a  partner  with  his  brother-in-law 
John  H.  Kinzie  in  the  forwarding  business,  who  in  later  years  became  a  Major 
General  during  the  Civil  War;  Colonel  James  M.  Strode,  register  of  the  United 
States  Land  office,  known  to  fame  as  the  commander  of  a  force  which  suffered 
defeat  at  Stillman's  Run  in  the  Black  Hawk  war;  the  three  Kinzies  then  residing 


FREDERICK  A.  HOWE 

Arrived  in  Chicago  June  7.   1834.  nnd  has  resided  here  continuously 
since  that  time.    He  is  seveiitv-iiiiie  rears  old. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  317 

in  Chicago, — James,  John  H.,  and  Robert  A.,  the  first  a  half  brother  of  the  lat- 
ter two,  and  all  sons  of  the  original  pioneer  of  Chicago,  John  Kinzie,  who  had 
then  been  dead  eleven  years.  The  wife  of  John  H.  Kinzie  was  the  author  of  the 
book  entitled  "Wau-Bun,"  well  known  to  all  students  of  the  early  history  of  Chi- 
cago. Both  John  H.  and  Robert  A.  Kinzie  were  paymasters  in  the  army  during 
the  Civil  War,  and  both  held  the  rank  of  major. 

Other  names  of  historical  interest  may  be  added.  Some  of  these  are  as  fol- 
lows: Gholson  Kercheval,  real  estate  man;  John  S.  C.  Hogan,  who  had  been 
postmaster  from  1832  to  1837;  Amos  Grannis,  builder  of  many  fine  structures  in 
later  years;  Elijah  M.  Haines,  who  became  prominent  in  state  politics  and  was 
twice  elected  speaker  of  the  Illinois  General  Assembly;  George  F.  Foster,  ship 
chandler  j  six  persons  bearing  the  name  of  Hugunin, — Daniel,  Hiram,  James  R., 
John  C.,  Leonard  C.,  and  Robert;  Charles  N.  Holden,  grocer;  Tuthill  King,  clothier, 
at  115  Lake  street;  Michael  Lantry,  in  the  teaming  business,  who  later  became 
the  stepfather  of  Colonel  James  A.  Mulligan;  Ira  Miltimore,  afterwards  the 
leader  in  the  movement  to  build  the  first  schoolhouse  in  1844;  Peter  Page,  builder; 
Philip  F.  W.  Peck,  real  estate  dealer;  John,  Maurice  and  Redmond  Prindiville; 
James  H.  Rees,  surveyor;  Sidney  Abell,  postmaster;  and  the  following  names 
of  those  who  afterwards  became  postmasters; — William  Stuart,  editor  of  the  Chi- 
cago Daily  American;  Hart  L.  Stewart,  canal  contractor;  Richard  L.  Wilson,  canal 
contractor;  George  W.  Dole,  city  treasurer;  Isaac  Cook;  and  Francis  T.  Sherman. 

The  names  thus  chosen  may  be  considered  fairly  representative,  though  many 
readers  with  the  directory  before  them  would  doubtless  have  made  a  different  selec- 
tion. Summarizing  a  city  directory  in  this  manner  is  no  easy  task,  especially 
when  one's  attention  is  constantly  arrested  by  names  which  bring  to  mind  numer- 
ous events  in  the  history  of  the  city  or  of  the  persons  mentioned,  and  one  has  dif- 
ficulty in  making  a  choice  among  so  many. 

Looking  at  this  directory  in  the  light  of  subsequent  events  it  seems  like  an 
index  to  the  history  of  the  city  and  its  builders.  Within  its  thirty-one  pages  are 
the  names  of  many  who  bore  leading  parts  in  the  development  and  renown  of  the 
city  of  destiny.  Men  who  afterwards  filled  honorable  stations  in  the  city,  state 
and  nation,  who  served  their  country  in  the  field  of  war  and  diplomacy,  or  who 
built  up  large  fortunes  which  contributed  to  the  material  prosperity  of  the  com- 
munity and  to  the  endowment  of  great  institutions  ministering  to  the  public  wel- 
fare, are  found  in  this  modest  compilation.  Their  names  are  perpetuated  in  the 
names  of  streets,  buildings,  institutions  and  parks,  and  in  the  memory  and  respect 
of  the  people  of  later  times. 

Comparing  this  old  directory  of  1839  with  that  issued  for  the  year  1910  we 
note  a  marvelous  contrast.  The  Chicago  directory  for  1910  comprises  a  volume 
of  1752  pages,  of  which  1454  pages  are  taken  up  with  the  names  of  residents  of 
the  city,  the  number  of  names  printed,  it  is  stated,  reaching  a  total  of  803,108. 
The  names  given  in  the  old  directory  would  scarcely  fill  three  pages  of  this  colossal 
work.  Such  is  the  difference  between  the  two  periods  separated  by  a  space  of 
seventy-one  years,  showing  the  wonderful  progress  made  in  the  intervening  time. 


318  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

THE  CHICAGO  DIRECTORY  OF  1843 

Robert  T.  Fergus  in  1896, — he  was  then  eighty-one  years  of  age — compiled 
a  directory  of  Chicago  for  1843,  much  in  the  same  manner  as  that  in  which  he 
compiled  the  directory  of  1839  twenty  years  before.  Mr.  Fergus  took  as  the 
basis  for  the  compilation  a  directory  of  Chicago  for  1843;  that  is,  the  canvas 
had  been  made  for  it  in  1843,  but  the  directory  itself  was  not  published  until 
1844.  This  directory  he  extended,  corrected,  and  generally  revised,  afterwards 
issuing  it  as  Publication  Number  28  of  the  Fergus  Historical  series.  This  re- 
printed directory  contains  seventy-one  pages  of  names,  averaging  thirty-three 
names  to  a  page,  a  total  of  about  2340  names.  In  passing  it  may  be  interesting 
to  state  that  the  population  of  the  city  in  the  year  1843  was  7580. 

A  valuable  feature  of  this  reprint  is  that  Mr.  Fergus,  from  his  abundant  knowl- 
edge and  vivid  recollection,  has  added  many  details  to  the  names  given  in  the 
original,  involving  bits  of  subsequent  history  of  great  interest.  Many  names  given 
in  the  directory  of  1839  are  of  course  found  here  also;  but  among  those  who  ap- 
pear here  for  the  first  time  a  few  may  be  mentioned. 

We  find  in  the  directory  of  1843  the  names  of  William  Blair,  hardware  dealer, 
at  number  111  South  Water  street;  James  V.  Z.  Blaney,  Professor  of  Chemistry 
at  Rush  Medical  College;  Isaac  H.  Burch,  banker;  Zebina  Eastman,  editor  of 
the  Western  Citizen;  Charles  B.  Farwell,  clerk  for  J.  B.  F.  Russell,  land  agent 
(Mr.  Farwell  arrived  early  in  January,  1844,  but  in  sufficient  time,  it  appears,  to 
have  his  name  included  in  the  directory  of  1843)  ;  Joseph  K.  C.  Forrest,  law 
student  with  Scammon  &  Judd;  Thomas  L.  Forrest,  clerk  for  Norton  &  Co.; 
Samuel  Hoard,  clerk  of  the  Circuit  court;  Charles  C.  P.  Holden,  clerk;  Allan 
Pinkerton,  cooper;  Joseph  T.  Ryerson,  dealer  in  iron  and  nails,  number  74  Lake 
street;  Robert  W.  Patterson,  Presbyterian  clergyman;  Orrington  Lunt,  commis- 
sion merchant;  Amos  G.  Throop,  lumber  merchant;  Murray  F.  Tuley,  law  student; 
Charles  G.  Wicker,  who  sold  dry-goods  and  groceries,  number  94  Lake  street;  and 
Alden  G.  Wilder,  teacher  in  the  public  schools. 

» 

THE  DIRECTORY  OF    1857 

Taking  up  the  Chicago  directory  for  1857,  published  by  John  Gager  &  Co., 
one  sees  a  great  increase  in  size  as  compared  with  the  ones  previously  noticed. 
Chicago  had  now  attained  a  population  of  about  85,000,  though  the  directory  pub- 
lishers speak  of  the  city  as  containing  100,000  souls.  The  United  States  census 
for  1860,  three  years  later,  gave  the  city  a  population  of  109,206.  A  rough  com- 
putation shows  that  there  are  about  29,000  names  in  this  directory.  An  unusual 
feature  was  the  addition,  after  the  name  and  address,  of  the  previous  residence  of 
the  person  whose  name  appears,  and  the  length  of  his  residence  in  Chicago.  This 
was  not  done,  indeed,  in  every  case,  as  it  was  no  doubt  impossible  to  procure  the 
information,  but  a  majority  of  the  names  appear  with  this  addition  in  abbreviated 
form.  Several  names  taken  at  random  will  illustrate  this  odd  manner  of  printing 
a  directory. 

Amberg,  Adam,  grocer,  91  S.  Jefferson,  Ger.  15  y;  (meaning  that  he  was  a 
native  of  Germany  and  had  been  a  resident  of  Chicago  15  years.) 

Anderson,  Charles,  tailor,  87  N.  Dearborn  st.,  Swe.  3  y. 

Baldwin,  John,  bookkeeper,  261    State  st.,  Mass.   4  y. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  319 

Jaeger,  Adam,  joiner,  142  Randolph  St.,  Ger.  18  m. 

Johns,  James  M.,  attorney  at  law,  13  La  Salle  st.,  Del.  2  m. 

Miles,  Michael,  laborer,  111   Market  St.,  Ire.  2  y. 

Shuman,  Andrew,  editor  Journal,  104  Monroe  st.,  Pa.  6  m. 

The  great  number  of  foreigners  is  especially  noticeable,  the  Germans  pre- 
pondering,  with  the  Irish  a  close  second.  All  of  the  eastern  states  apparently  are 
mentioned  as  among  the  former  residences  of  persons  whose  names  are  given;  but 
among  the  foreign  countries  one  sees  the  names  of  Germany,  Ireland,  Scotland  and 
England  quite  frequently,  and  occasionally  Sweden,  Norway  and  Switzerland,  and 
doubtless  many  other  countries  if  one  were  to  search  deeper.  This  directory  would 
be  a  fertile  field  for  an  investigator  whose  object  might  be  to  ascertain  the  na- 
tivity of  the  inhabitants  at  that  particular  time,  for  here  is  given  in  perhaps  nine 
cases  out  of  ten  this  most  valuable  information,  though  it  must  have  added  greatly 
to  the  labor  of  the  compiler. 

In  the  preface  to  the  directory  the  publishers  have  referred  to  the  painstaking 
care  required  and  the  difficulties  encountered  in  preparing  it.  "Many  demand 
absolute  perfection  in  a  work  of  this  character,"  says  the  writer  of  the  preface, 
"let  such  reflect  for  a  moment  on  the  delicacy  of  the  task  and  its  enormous  extent 
in  first  collecting  in  a  mass  the  name  of  each  householder,  and  every  male  resident 
of  age  within  the  limits  of  a  city  like  this ;  then  arranging  them  in  alphabetical 
order."  Those  who  are  to  use  the  directory  are  warned  first  to  make  sure  of  the 
"exact  orthography  of  the  name  he  is  seeking,"  and  to  remember  that  if  a  man's 
name  is  Browne  he  should  not  expect  to  find  it  among  those  who  spell  their  names 
Brown. 

"One  source  of  annoyance  leading  to  endless  confusion,"  says  the  writer,  "is 
the  want  of  numbers  throughout  the  city,  there  being  but  two  or  three  streets 
where  a  continued  numbering  is  preserved."  Another  annoyance  complained  of 
was  the  lack  of  sign  boards  showing  the  names  of  the  streets,  a  lack  which  after 
more  than  half  a  century  is  still  severely  felt.  Referring  to  that  part  of  the  in- 
formation given  which  states  the  native  country  and  duration  of  residence  in  Chi- 
cago of  the  greater  part  of  those  whose  names  are  in  the  directory,  the  writer  says 
that  "it  is  sufficiently  accurate  to  form  a  correct  estimate  of  the  nativity  of  our 
population,  as  well  as  to  show  to  the  world  the  enigma,  almost,  of  a  city  of  100,000 
souls,  scarcely  ten  in  a  thousand  of  which  resided  here  ten  years  since." 

SOME  OF  THE  NAMES  IN   THE  DIRECTORY 

A  few  names  from  the  directory  are  given  below  as  examples,  each  of  which, 
doubtless,  will  have  a  special  interest  for  some  reader.  The  spelling  is  preserved 
as  it  is  found  in  the  columns  of  the  directory. 

Blanchard,  Rufus,  book  and  map  agent,  52  La  Salle  st.,  2  y. 

Blatchford,  E.  W.  (of  Collins  &  B.)  Lead  pipe  and  sheet  lead,  cor.  Clinton  & 
Fulton  sts. 

Davis,  Dr.  N.  S.,  53  Randolph  st.,  h.  43  Michigann  av.,  N.  Y.  7  y. 

Douglas,  Stephen  A.,  Ex-judge,  Cottage  Grove,  Vt.  (i.e.,  lives  at  Cottage  Grove 
in  Chicago  but  came  from  Vermont.) 

Ellsworth,  E.  E.,  Patent  agent,  66  Randolph  st.,  N.  Y.  1  y. 


320  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

Evans,  John,  (Evans  &  Nutt,  physicians),  Evanstown. 

Fergus,  Robert,  Printer,  189  Lake  st.,  h.   177  State  st.,  Scot.  17  y. 

Field,  Marshall,  clerk,  205  S.  Water  st.,  Mass.  6  m. 

Gage,  L.  J.,  clerk,  boards  118  W.  Jackson  st. 

Goodwillie,  David,  Planing  mill,  h.  Green  Bay  Road  near  Cemetery,  7  y. 

Harrison,  Carter  H.,  (Harrison  &  Walker,  attornies),  55  Clark  st. 

Kerfoot,  S.  H.,  (Real  Estate),  Pine  Grove  near  Lake  View  House,  Penn.  8  y. 

Reed,  J.  H.,  (J.  H.  Reed  &  Co.,  druggists),  144-146  Lake  st.,  Tremont  House. 

Upton,  George  P.,  Commercial  Editor  Journal,  45  Randolph  st.,  Mass,  l1/^  y. 

Wright,  John  S.,  h.  34  Washington  st.,  Mass  23  y. 

JOHN    WENTWORTH 

John  Wentworth  was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  where  he  was  born  March 
5,  1815.  He  was  descended  on  both  his  paternal  and  maternal  sides  from  the 
earliest  settlers  of  New  England.  His  grandfather,  John  Wentworth,  Jr.,  was  a 
member  of  the  Continental  Congress  and  was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Articles  of 
Confederation  in  1778,  under  which  the  government  was  carried  on  until  the  adop- 
tion of  the  Constitution,  nine  years  later. 

In  his  boyhood  and  youth,  John  Wentworth  attended  the  schools  and  academies 
in  the  neighborhood  of  his  native  place,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  entered  Dart- 
mouth College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1836.  During  the  winter  seasons, 
while  attending  college,  he  taught  school  in  neighboring  towns,  thus  paying  his 
own  way.  He  also  took  an  interest  in  local  politics,  acting  with  the  Democratic 
party,  and  on  one  occasion  was  a  delegate  to  the  county  convention,  where,  young 
as  he  was,  he  was  made  chairman  of  the  committee  on  resolutions.  His  reports 
and  the  remarks  called  forth  in  the  transaction  of  business  received  high  praise 
and  .approval  from  the  other  delegates  and  the  newspaper  press. 

In  October,  1836,  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  John  Wentworth  bade  fare- 
well to  his  old  home,  and,  with  one  hundred  dollars  in  his  pocket,  started  for  the 
West  with  but  a  vague  idea  as  to  his  destination.  He  was  of  gigantic  stature, 
measuring  six  feet  and  six  inches  in  height,  and  throughout  his  life  was  for  this 
reason  known  as  "Long  John."  He  was  broad-shouldered  and  erect,  endowed  with 
good  sense  and  with  a  keen  and  caustic  humor,  and  in  after  years  became  a  ready 
and  forceful  speaker  and  writer.  On  his  departure  he  carried  with  him  letters 
of  introduction  to  prominent  men  in  Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  one  from  Isaac  Hill,  the 
governor  of  New  Hampshire,  and  one  from  a  member  of  Congress  of  the  same 
state. 

JOURNEY    TO    THE    WEST 

Wentworth  traveled  by  coach  as  far  as  Schenectady,  New  York,  from  there  to 
Utica  by  cars,  and  from  Utica  to  Tonawanda,  near  Buffalo,  by  the  Erie  Canal.' 
From  Buffalo  he  went  by  steamer  to  Detroit,  arriving  there  on  the  13th  of  October, 
ten  days  from  the  time  of  starting  on  his  journey.  At  Detroit  he  attempted  to 
procure  employment  as  a  school  teacher,  and  visited  neighboring  towns  on  foot 
for  that  purpose,  meeting,  however,  with  no  success.  Sending  his  trunk  to  Chi- 
cago by  a  lake  vessel  he  took  a  stage  as  far  as  Michigan  City,  and  traveled  the 


By  permission  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 


Came  to  Chicago  in  1830  ;  became  member  of  congress  in  1843,  serving 
six  terms,  and  was  mayor  of  the  city  in  1857  and  1860. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  321 

rest  of  the  way  to  Chicago  on  foot.  Here  he  arrived  on  the  25th  of  October,  1836, 
and  went  to  the  United  States  hotel,  which  was  the  name  then  borne  by  the  old 
Sauganash. 

ARRIVAL  IN  CHICAGO 

John  Wentworth's  intention,  after  his  arrival  at  Chicago,  was  to  pursue  the 
study  of  law,  and  he  made  the  necessary  arrangements  having  that  end  in  view  with 
Henry  Moore,  a  leading  lawyer  of  Chicago.  But  within  a  month  after  his  arrival 
he  was  invited  to  take  editorial  charge  of  the  Chicago  Democrat,  a  weekly  paper 
which  had  been  established  four  years  before  by  John  Calhoun.  A  short  time  after 
he  had  entered  upon  his  editorial  duties  the  proprietor  offered  to  sell  the  entire 
establishment  to  him,  and  Wentworth  bought  it  for  twenty-eight  hundred  dollars, 
and  within  three  years  he  owned  the  newspaper  free  from  indebtedness.  "He  had 
earned  it,"  says  Andreas,  "by  incessant  labor  and  indefatigable  application,  rigid 
economy  and  unremitting  attention  to  business,  such  attention  as  his  magnificent 
physique  and  the  stern,  persistent  daily  labor  of  his  early  New  England  home  fitted 
him  to  endure."  He  thus  found  himself  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  in  an  influential 
position,  at  a  time  when  the  town  of  Chicago  was  on  the  eve  of  its  incorporation 
as  a  city.  The  responsibilities  thus  thrust  upon  him  at  so  early  an  age  he  met 
with  ability  and  general  popular  acceptance,  and  laid  deep  and  sure  the  foundations 
of  his  subsequent  successful  career. 

WENTWORTH'S  civic  CAREER 

Young  Wentworth  was  now  fairly  embarked  on  a  career  which  identified  him 
throughout  a  long  life  with  the  history  and  growth  of  Chicago.  His  progress  was 
regular  and  consistent;  he  was  continually  entering  upon  new  responsibilities  and 
discharging  them  with  credit  to  himself,  and  with  satisfactory  results.  •  He  became 
not  only  a  prominent  figure  in  our  city  affairs,  but  in  national  affairs  as  well,  his 
acquaintance  and  influence  extending  over  the  whole  country. 

National  concerns  have  always  interested  the  people  of  Chicago  more  than 
those  of  the  state  of  which  it  is  so  important  a  part;  and  in  Wentworth's  career  we 
find  him  first  in  close  and  intimate  relationship  with  the  city  of  his  residence,  and, 
at  a  later  period,  representing  it,  as  well  as  the  extensive  territory  included  in  his 
Congressional  district,  in  the  councils  of  the  nation. 

In  February,  1840,  the  Democrat  was  changed  from  a  weekly  to  a  daily  paper, 
and  so  continued  until  July,  1861,  when  Wentworth  sold  it  to  other  parties. 
In  1839  Wentworth  was  appointed  an  aide-de-camp  on  the  staff  of  Governor 
Thomas  Carlin,  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  and  for  this  reason  the  title  of  Colonel 
was  often  applied  to  him.  Owing  to  his  change  of  sentiments  from  the  old-time 
Democracy  to  Republicanism  he  gave  the  support  of  his  paper  to  the  Republican 
party  on  its  organization.  Zebina  Eastman  thus  wrote  in  1857:  "In  politics  Col- 
onel Wentworth  has  ever  acted  with  the  old-line  Democratic  party,  but  when  the 
old  parties  became  split  up,  by  making  the  slavery  extension  question  a  test,  he 
went,  with  such  other  Democrats  as  Hamlin,  Wilmot,  King,  Trumbull,  Fremont, 
Blair,  and  others,  into  what  is  known  as  the  Republican  movement.  To  the  success 


322  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

of  this  movement  Colonel  Wentworth  has,   by   public   speeches,  by   writing   in   his 
newspaper,  and  by  efforts  in  every  other  way,  bent  all  his  energies." 

POLITICAL   PREFERMENTS 

Mr.  Wentworth  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1841,  and  two  years  later  he  was 
nominated  for  Congress  by  the  convention  at  Joliet,  and  was  elected  by  a  large 
majority.  He  was  twenty-eight  years  of  age  when  he  took  his  seat  in  Congress, 
being  the  youngest  member  of  that  body.  Owing  to  the  failure  of  the  legislature  to 
district  the  state  in  time  for  the  election  which  should  have  taken  place  in  1842, 
his  term  did  not  begin  until  1843,  so  that  he  had  but  one  year's  service  in  the 
Twenty-eighth  Congress.  He  was,  however,  renominated  in  1844,  and  reelected 
for  a  second  term.  He  was  successively  reelected  in  1846  and  1848. 

"Before  his  election  to  Congress,"  says  Andreas,  "there  had  not  been  any 
member  who  resided  on  the  lake,  nor  had  there  been  one  north  of  the  center  of  the 
state  of  Illinois,  and,  until  the  admission  of  Wisconsin  as  a  state,  he  continued 
to  be  the  sole  representative  who  resided  upon  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan.  His 
district  embraced  the  counties  of  Boone,  Bureau,  Cook,  Champaign,  De  Kalb,  Du 
Page,  Grundy,  Iroquois,  Kane,  Kendall,  Lake,  La  Salle,  Livingston,  McHenry, 
McLean,  Vermilion  and  Will;  and  it  extended  from  the  Wisconsin  state  line  on  the 
north  to  a  distance  of  one  hundred  miles  below  the  line  of  the  termination  of  the  Illi- 
nois and  Michigan  Canal  on  the  south,  and  from  the  Indiana  state  line  on  the 
east  to  counties  touching  Rock  River  on  the  west." 

Mr.  Wentworth  was  a  member  of  the  Baltimore  convention  of  1844,  which 
nominated  James  K.  Polk  for  the  presidency;  also  that  of  1848  which  nominated 
General  Lewis  Cass.  He  was  one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  calling  the  great  River 
and  Harbor  convention,  which  assembled  at  Chicago  in  1847,  and  wrote  the  address 
which  will  be  noticed  in  another  place. 

In  1850  he  declined  the  nomination  for  Congress,  but  in  1852  he  again  be- 
came a  candidate  from  a  new  congressional  district  made  under  the  census  of  1850, 
and  was  elected.  At  the  end  of  his  term  he  refused  a  renomination ;  but,  in  1865, 
he  again  represented  his  district  in  Congress,  this  time  as  a  Republican,  and  finally 
retired  in  1867.  He  had  thus  served  eleven  years  in  Congress.  A  writer,  in  the 
Democratic  Review,  said  of  him: 

"Colonel  Wentworth's  political  career  has  been  marked  by  untiring  industry  and 
perseverance,  by  independence  of  thought,  expression  and  action,  by  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  human  nature,  by  a  moral  courage  equal  to  any  crisis,  by  a  self-pos- 
session that  enables  him  to  avail  himself  of  any  chance  of  success  when  on  the 
very  threshold  of  defeat,  and  by  a  steady  devotion  to  what  he  believes  to  be  the 
wishes  and  interests  of  those  whose  representative  he  is." 

In  a  convention  of  delegates  from  all  the  old  political  parties,  which  assembled 
at  Chicago  in  1857,  Mr.  Wentworth  was  nominated  to  the  office  of  mayor,  and  was 
elected.  During  his  term  as  mayor  he  introduced  the  first  steam  fire  engine  into  the 
city,  which  was  named  "Long  John"  in  his  honor,  and  his  first  official  act  was 
to  call  a  board  of  engineers  who  established  the  new  street  grade.  At  the  end  of 
one  year  his  term  expired,  but  he  declined  a  renomination.  However,  in  1860  he 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  323 

was  again  nominated  and  elected  to  the  office  of  mayor,  and  served  until  the  spring 
of  1861. 

THE    PRINCE    OF    WALES'    VISIT 

It  was  during  his  last  term  as  mayor  that  the  Prince  of  Wales,  afterward  King 
Edward  VII  of  England,  visited  Chicago.  This  visit  took  place  in  the  fall  of  1860. 
The  Prince  was  then  nineteen  years  of  age  and  was  making  a  tour  of  Canada 
and  the  United  States,  he  and  his  party  being  under  the  charge  of  the  Duke  of 
Newcastle. 

The  Canadian  authorities  were  opposed  to  the  extension  of  the  Prince's  tour 
into  the  United  States,  and  Mayor  Wentworth  went  to  Montreal  with  a  large  body 
of  other  Americans  to  give  assurance  of  his  safety.  As  there  were  fears  that  dis- 
turbances might  arise,  especially  in  Chicago,  where  there  were  large  numbers  of 
foreigners  residing,  Mr.  Wentworth  assured  the  Duke  that  he  had  only  to  make 
his  arrangements  through  the  British  consul  at  Chicago,  and  he,  as  mayor  of  the 
city,  would  see  that  they  were  all  carried  out.  The  Prince  and  his  party  came 
to  Chicago  and  stayed  at  the  Richmond  House,  then  supposed  to  be  the  finest  hotel 
in  the  city,  situated  at  the  northwest  corner  of  South  Water  street  and  Michigan 
avenue,  and  met  with  a  cordial  reception  by  the  people.  Mr.  Wentworth  superin- 
tended all  the  arrangements  himself,  and  they  were  so  satisfactory  that  after  the 
return  of  the  Prince,  the  Duke  of  Newcastle  wrote  a  very  complimentary  letter 
to  Mr.  Wentworth,  stating  that  nowhere  were  the  arrangements  made  and  car- 
ried out  so  satisfactorily  as  they  were  at  Chicago.  At  the  same  time  the  Duke 
sent  him  a  large  portrait  of  the  Prince,  and  also  sent  him  two  Southdown  sheep 
from  the  Queen's  herd  for  his  farm  at  Summit. 

THE   SUMMIT   FARM 

Mr.  Wentworth  became  the  proprietor  of  a  large  tract  of  land  at  Summit,  in 
the  township  of  Lyons,  in  Cook  County,  some  fifteen  miles  from  the  courthouse 
in  Chicago,  now  a  station  on  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad,  and  also  on  the  banks 
of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal.  This  place  is  noted  as  being  the  highest  point 
between  the  watersheds  of  the  two  great  systems  of  drainage,  the  waters  on  the 
west  being  tributary  to  the  streams  that  flow  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  those 
on  the  east  into  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence. 

The  tract  acquired  by  Mr.  Wentworth  consisted  of  four  thousand  and  seven 
hundred  acres,  upon  which  he  erected  a  farmhouse  and  other  farm  buildings,  and 
devoted  it  largely  to  stock  raising.  He  continued  to  reside  in  Chicago,  however, 
and  died  there  on  the  16th  of  October,  1888,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years 
and  seven  months. 

SOME    GENERAL    DETAILS 

In  1844  Mr.  Wentworth  was  married  to  Miss  Roxanna  Marie  Loomis  of  Troy, 
New  York.  They  had  five  children,  only  one  of  whom  survived  to  maturity,  a 
daughter  named  after  her  mother.  She  was  married,  in  1892,  to  Mr.  Clarence 
Bowen  of  New  York.  Mrs.  Wentworth  died  in  1870. 

In  1867  Mr.  Wentworth  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  from  his 
Alma  Mater,  Dartmouth  College,  and  in  1882  and  1883  he  was  elected  president 


324  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

of  the  Alumni  Association  of  that  institution  for  each  of  those  years.  He  was 
greatly  interested  in  historical  matters,  especially  in  the  early  period  of  Chicago 
history;  his  lectures  and  writings,  printed  in  the  Fergus  Historical  Series,  form- 
ing several  important  pamphlets  which  are  indispensable  to  the  student  and  in- 
vestigator. He  was  the  author  of  the  "Wentworth  Genealogy,"  a  work  in  three 
volumes,  said  by  critics  to  be  "the  most  complete  and  most  perfectly  indexed  of  any 
of  that  class  of  work  published." 

ANECDOTES  AND  EPISODES 

After  Wentworth  had  received  the  appointment  of  Colonel  on  the  staff  of  Gov- 
ernor Carlin,  he  printed  in  a  carrier's  address  of  the  Democrat,  under  date  of 
January  1,  1841,  a  humorous  address,  with  an  imaginary  view  of  himself  in  bril- 
liant uniform  mounted  on  a  forlorn  looking  horse,  while  his  feet,  armed  with  pro- 
digious spurs,  reached  the  ground  on  either  side  of  the  charger;  upon  seeing  which 
an  Irishman  exclaimed,  "Faith,  this  is  the  first  Colonel  I  ever  saw  that  could 
ride  and  walk  too."  The  address  begins: 

"Fellow  citizens,  it  is  hardly  necessary  for  me  to  premise  that  I  appear  before 
you  in  a  novel  and  unexpected  attitude.  But  tremble  not !  For  though  clothed  in 
the  habiliments  of  war,  my  governing  motive  is  'peace  on  earth,  good  will  to  men.' 
To  be  sure  the  steed  upon  which  I  ride  snorts  at  times  like  the  war-horse,  and  in 
his  very  tramp,  imitates  the  thunder  of  the  cannon.  .  .  .  But  though  furious 
in  his  inclination,  I  can  assure  you  he  is  reined  by  the  hand  of  discretion.  Banish, 
then,  the  least  ground  of  affright,  and  consider  me,  as  ever  before,  your  fellow- 
citizen  and  your  equal  whenever  I  shall  have  dismounted,  and,  laying  aside  this 
glittering  equipage,  shall  have  retired  once  more  to  the  shades  of  private  life." 
He  then  proceeds  to  relate  the  circumstances  of  his  arrival  some  four  years  before. 
"Could  you  have  been  upon  the  sand-hills  between  here  and  Michigan  City,  on 
the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Michigan  in  the  fall  of  1836,  you  would  have  seen 
me  stretched  out  like  a  leather  shoestring,  all  length  and  no  breadth,  leaning  over 
the  country  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  with  all  my  clothes  under  one  arm." 

He  then  invites  the  children  to  behold  him.  "Young  children,  look  at  me,  and, 
as  you  admire  the  trappings  of  power,  imitate  my  example,  and  you  may  get  to  be 
not  only  Colonels  but  Generals." 

"Ladies,"  he  continues,  "I  ask  you,  too,  to  look  at  me.  Do  you  see  this  proud 
war-steed,  this  nodding  plume  and  glittering  epaulette?  Well,  then  laugh  no  more 
at  old  bachelors."  And  to  the  men  he  says:  "One  word  to  you,  fathers,  and  I 
have  done,  and  perhaps  forever.  For  this  very  night  news  may  arrive  of  the 
invasion  of  our  territory,  and  if  there  is  anything  to  be  argued  from  the  conduct 
of  my  horse,  ...  I  should  think  he  already  snuffed  blood  and  carnage.  I 
have  unsheathed  my  sword,  and  it  will  never  be  sheathed  again  until  your  last 
enemy  shall  be  trampled  under  my  feet." 

In  this  mock  heroic  address,  Wentworth  acknowledges  the  military  title  con- 
ferred upon  him  by  the  governor,  representing  himself  in  the  manner  of  Don 
Quixote  mounted  on  his  charger;  and  at  the  same  time  forestalling  the  ridicule 
which  he  knew  his  adversaries  intended  to  direct  against  him. 


PAUL   SELBY 


ANDREW   SHUMAN 


KLII'IIALKT    W.    BLATCHFORD 


GEORGE  P.  A.  HEALY 

The    famous    portrait    painter    who    in    1855 
came  to  Chicago  to  live 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  325 

A  RINGING  WAR  TIME  PROCLAMATION 

During  the  closing  months  of  Wentworth's  second  term  as  mayor  it  was  becom- 
ing increasingly  evident  to  the  people  of  the  whole  country  that  a  civil  conflict 
was  impending,  that  the  southern  states  were  determined  to  assert  the  right  of  se- 
cession by  force  of  arms.  Already,  in  January,  1861,  while  Buchanan  was  yet 
president,  overt  acts  of  rebellion  had  occurred,  military  posts  had  been  seized  and 
arsenals  plundered  for  the  benefit  of  military  organizations  then  rapidly  forming 
throughout  the  southern  states. 

On  the  5th  of  January,  1861,  Mayor  Wentworth  issued  a  proclamation  calling 
the  attention  of  the  people  of  Chicago  to  the  condition  of  affairs  in  the  South. 
"Whereas,"  began  the  proclamation,  "rebels  and  traitors  have  taken  possession 
of  the  forts  and  other  public  property  of  the  Union,  and  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  has  been  set  at  defiance,  and  men  who  are  sworn  to  protect  them 
all,  not  only  fail  to  discharge  their  duty  in  this  respect,  but  have  the  appearance 
of  encouraging  rebellion  and  treason;  and  whereas,  an  honorable  exception  to  this 
charge  is  furnished  in  the  conduct  of  Major  Robert  Anderson,  who  took  the  respon- 
sibility, without  awaiting  for  orders  from  those  who  would  have  left  him  in  a 
weak  position,  either  from  a  disposition  to  make  him  an  easy  prey  to  rebels  and 
traitors,  or  from  a  fear  to  do  what  they  knew  to  be  their  sworn  duty,  of  fortifying 
his  position  and  placing  himself  where  he  could  defend  his  own  and  his  country's 
honor;  and  whereas,  some  demonstration  of  respect  is  due  from  the  Metropolis 
of  the  Northwest  to  the  gallant  Major  Anderson;  and  [as]  it  seems  to  be  appropri- 
ate that  the  8th  day  of  January  should  be  set  apart  as  the  day  for  such  a  testi- 
monial," it  is  therefore  ordered  that  on  that  day  the  public  offices  of  the  city  shall 
be  closed,  that  it  is  recommended  that  the  business  of  the  city  be  generally  sus- 
pended, "that  the  people  congregate  in  such  places  as  may  seem  to  them  best,  to 
adopt  the  necessary  measures  to  declare  their  attachment  to  the  Federal  Union, 
and  in  'support  of  their  declaration,  with  a  firm  reliance  upon  the  protection  of 
Divine  Providence,  to  mutually  pledge  to  each  other  their  lives,  their  fortunes 
and  their  sacred  honor.'  "  1 

This  quotation  from  the  closing  words  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  gave 
peculiar  force  to  the  proclamation.  "I  also  recommend,"  continued  the  mayor, 
"that  the  flag  of  the  Federal  Union  be  everywhere  displayed,  and  that  our  mili- 
tary companies  and  other  organizations  take  such  steps  as  they  may  deem  due  to 
the  memory  of  a  Jackson  and  the  gallantry  of  an  Anderson.  At  sunrise,  thirty- 
three  guns  will  be  fired  in  honor  of  the  union  of  these  United  States.  At  noon 
a  salute  will  be  fired  in  honor  of  Major  Anderson,  of  fifty-six  guns,  corresponding 
with  his  age.  During  the  firing  of  these  guns,  the  bells  will  be  rung  throughout 
the  city.  At  sunset,  a  salute  will  be  fired  in  honor  of  the  memory  of  General 
Andrew  Jackson,  to  the  number  of  seventy-eight  guns.  During  this  salute  the  bells 
will  be  tolled  throughout  the  city,  not  so  much  in  consequence  of  the  loss  of  Gen- 
eral Jackson  (for  all  men  must  die),  but  because  of  the  absence,  in  the  General 
Government,  of  his  patriotism  and  courage,  which  did  not  wait  for  overt  acts 
among  nullifiers  and  disunionists.  In  the  evening,  I  recommend  the  meeting  of  our 
young  men,  at  such  places  as  may  best  suit  them,  for  the  purpose  of  forming 

1  Andreas:  "History  of  Chicago,"  Vol.  Ill,  p.  839. 


326  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

themselves  into  military  companies,  in  order  that  they  may  be  able  to  promptly 
respond  to  any  calls  that  may  be  made  upon  them  to  aid  in  the  defense  of  the 
Union  and  the  Constitution."  2 

The  ringing  words  of  this  document  are  an  indication  of  the  spirit  of  loyalty 
to  the  Union  which  flamed  up  to  such  a  degree  throughout  the  North,  and  the  procla- 
mation reflects  honor  alike  upon  the  mayor  who  issued  it  and  to  the  people  who 
responded  so  loyally  to  his  appeal  and  to  many  other  calls  made  upon  them  in 
behalf  of  their  country,  during  the  four  succeeding  years  of  civil  strife. 

WENTWORTH'S  REPLY  TO   VALLANDIGHAM 

During  the  presidential  campaign  of  1864,  when  General  McClellan  was  the 
candidate  of  the  "Peace  Democrats"  against  Abraham  Lincoln,  who  was  the  candi- 
date of  the  Republicans  for  a  second  term,  Mr.  Clement  L.  Vallandigham  made  a 
speech  at  Chicago  in  the  Courthouse  square  in  the  interests  of  McClellan's  can- 
didacy. On  the  retirement  of  Vallandigham  from  the  steps  of  the  Courthouse  the 
crowd  called  for  "Long  John,"  and  "Wentworth,"  the  two  names  being  synonymous 
with  Chicago  people.  Mr.  Wentworth  appeared  upon  the  stand,  and  said,  "I 
am  pleased  with  the  opportunity,  which  your  call  affords  me,  to  lay  my  own 
views  of  public  policy  and  public  affairs  before  you."  He  then  went  on  to  say 
that  he  would  not  speak  as  a  party  man.  "To  my  country  and  my  country  alone 
do  I  owe  fealty  and  render  homage.  I  love  my  country.  It  nurtured  me  in  my 
youth,  it  honored  me  in  my  manhood,  and  now,  when  I  have  passed  the  meridian 
of  life,  I  love  to  respond  to  any  call  to  plead  in  her  behalf. 

"As  we  cast  our  eyes  over  the  land,  and  witness  the  tears  that  everywhere 
prevail,  and  the  dangers  that  now  environ  the  republic,  the  heart  of  the  patriot 
sinks  with  doubt  and  dread.  War,  with  all  its  dread  calamities  following  in  its 
train,  is  convulsing  the  nation.  The  art  of  arms  has  succeeded  the  pursuits  of 
peace,  and  nearly  a  million  of  men  confront  each  other  in  battle  array.  Amid  the 
horrors  of  war,  we  naturally  look  and  long  for  peace. 

"The  fathers  and  mothers  of  Chicago,  whose  sons  are  braving  the  hazards  of 
battle  and  the  perils  of  disease,  long  for  peace.  The  wives  of  Illinois,  whose 
husbands  have  perished,  or  are  perishing,  in  the  terrible  struggle,  send  up  their 
daily  prayers  for  the  cessation  of  the  strife.  My  own  wish  and  hope  is  for  peace." 
But,  when  those  who  had  inaugurated  the  conflict  should  lay  down  their  arms, 
then  we  might  hope  for  peace,  the  peace  "for  which  we  pray,  for  which  we  fight." 

He  then  refers  to  the  speech  "of  that  peculiar  Democratic  champion  who  has 
just  addressed  you  from  the  stand.  I  have  heard  him  bewail,"  he  continued,  "in 
feeling,  touching  terms  the  existence  and  continuance  of  this  accursed  war.  In 
terms  of  indignation  he  has  inveighed  against  the  Federal  administration  for  the 
part  it  has  had  to  act  in  the  bloody  drama.  But  while  he  was  thus  deprecating 
war  and  violence,  I  listened  in  vain  for  one  single  breath  of  censure,  for  one  word 
of  reproof  from  his  lips  of  those  who  first  madly  unchained  the  ugly  demon,  and 
let  loose  the  storm  of  deadly  hate.  .  .  .  But  this  denunciator  of  war,  this 
deprecator  of  strife,  this  messenger  of  peace,  in  his  speech  tonight,  had  not  a 

2  Andreas:  III,  839. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  327 

word  of  denunciation  and  reproof  for  those  who,  before  God  and  man,  are  guilty 
of  its  commencement." 

He  asks  his  hearers  why  the  speaker's  invectives  were  directed  solely  against 
the  Federal  government  which  attacked  only  after  it  was  assailed,  and  why  he  had 
no  word  of  censure  for  those  who  opened  the  strife.  "If  we  want  peace,  then, 
let  us  conquer.  If  the  South  want  peace,  let  them  lay  down  their  arms  and  cease 
war.  .  .  .  But  while  an  arm  wields  a  saber,  while  the  Constitution  is  defied 
and  the  laws  laughed  to  scorn,  I  will  uphold  the  authority"  to  which  we  have  given 
our  solemn  oath  "that  the  Constitution  should  be  preserved  and  the  laws  main- 
tained." 

Mr.  Wentworth  continued  his  address,  as  follows :  "But  Mr.  Vallaiidigham 
told  you  that  the  government  could  never  be  held  together  by  coercive  force,  that 
power,  brought  to  apply  upon  the  unruly,  could  never  reduce  them  to  obedience. 
Was  there  ever  a  greater  heresy  uttered  by  the  mouth  of  man!  No  coercion! 
Why,  gentlemen,  the  coercive  power  of  government  is  the  only  safety  and  salva- 
tion of  society.  No  government,  no  community  can  exist  an  hour  without  it.  It 
was  the  weakness  of  the  articles  of  the  old  Confederation  that  they  conferred  no 
coercive  power,  and  the  statesmen  of  that  day  saw  the  pressing  neccessity  of  the 
new  Constitution.  Take,  today,  from  the  municipal  and  governmental  organiza- 
tion, the  power  of  coercion,  and  society  goes  at  once  into  anarchy  and  chaos. 
That  glorious  old  war-horse  of  Democracy,  General  Jackson,  from  whose  lips  I 
inhaled  the  pure  inspiration  of  Demo'cracy,  and  at  whose  feet  I  received  the  first 
lessons  of  political  and  governmental  duty,  was  gloriously  free  from  this  modern 
heresy.  His  celebrated  proclamation  against  the  nullifiers,  in  which  coercion 
gleamed  and  glistened  in  every  line,  will  give  him  a  name  and  an  immortality  in 
history  when  the  maligners  and  denunciators  of  this  policy  shall  have  been  forgot- 
ten. I,  therefore,  stand  for  General  Jackson,  and  against  Mr.  Vallandigham." 

This  address  breathes  the  true  spirit  of  able  and  efficient  government  every- 
where, for  Douglas  was  unquestionably  right  when  he  said:  "The  word  govern- 
ment means  coercion.  There  can  be  no  government  without  coercion.  Coercion  is 
the  vital  principle  upon  which  all  governments  rest.  Withdraw  the  right  of  coer- 
cion and  you  dissolve  your  government." 

JOHN    WENTWORTH     IN     CHICAGO 

Wentworth  was  a  familiar  figure  in  Chicago  for  a  period  of  fifty  years  or  more, 
conspicuous  not  only  by  reason  of  his  extraordinary  stature,  which  made  him  known 
to  multitudes,  but  also  because  of  his  sterling  common  sense  in  times  of  stress 
and  anxiety.  A  Democrat  up  to  the  time  of  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party, 
he  became  fully  identified  with  the  latter,  though  often  independent  of  either  party 
on  occasions.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  War  he  was  a  strong  Union  man  and 
showed  by  his  official  acts  and  speeches  the  heartiest  sympathy  for  the  Union 
cause.  His  reply  to  Vallandigham,  made  as  it  was,  without  preparation  and  on 
the  spur  of  the  moment,  was  perhaps  one  of  the  most  notable  speeches  he  ever 
made. 

In  his  later  years  he  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  history  of  his  adopted  city, 
and  his  various  writings  and  addresses  form  valuable  contributions  to  the  collec- 


328  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

tions  on  that  subject.  In  the  great  fire  of  1871  there  was  destroyed  a  large  amount 
of  material  he  had  gathered  of  a  valuable  historical  character.  He  had  kept  a 
journal  of  all  the  events  worthy  of  record  which  had  taken  place  during  his  life, 
making  entries  therein  almost  every  day.  He  had  also  a  complete  file  of  the 
Weekly  and  Daily  Democrat  from  his  first  connection  with  that  paper  until  it  was 
sold  to  others,  a  period  of  twenty-five  years.  These  and  many  other  valuable 
papers  were  burned. 

Mr.  Wentworth  made  his  home  at  the  Sherman  House  for  many  years  before 
his  death  in  1888.  The  lot  in  Rosehill  Cemetery,  where  his  remains  are  buried, 
is  the  largest  in  that  city  of  the  dead.  The  monument  is  a  shaft  of  granite,  and 
is  the  tallest  one  of  its  kind  in  Cook  County,  rising  seventy-two  feet  from  the  sur- 
face of  the  ground  to  its  summit.  The  monument  was  set  up  some  years  before 
Mr.  Wentworth  died  under  his  own  personal  direction.  The  shaft  and  base,  the 
latter  eighteen  feet  square,  were  brought  from  New  Hampshire  by  the  lake,  as 
they  could  not  be  transported  by  rail  on  account  of  their  huge  dimensions. 

CONTEMPORARY    OPINIONS 

Judge  Bradwell,  while  Wentworth  was  yet  living,  said  of  him:  "Few  men 
in  the  nation  have  the  intellectual  capacity  of  Mr.  Wentworth.  He  is  strong  in 
whatever  he  undertakes,  and  does  it  in  his  own  peculiar  way.  He  has  been  a  power 
in  this  state  and  nation." 

There  was  printed  in  an  Eastern  paper  the  following  appreciation  of  him:  "Mr. 
Wentworth,  all  through  his  editorial  and  official  life,  has  shown  himself  not  only 
a  man  of  decided  convictions,  but  has  proved  on  many  notable  occasions  that  he 
had,  under  the  most  adverse  circumstances,  the  courage  to  follow  them." 

In  the  latter  part  of  his  life  the  press  often  contained  items  regarding  Mr. 
Wentworth's  great  wealth,  especially  his  large  landed  interests  in  the  south  part 
of  the  city  and  his  great  Summit  farm.  Although  not  in  the  best  taste,  perhaps, 
it  was  occasionally  hinted  that  he  was  considering  the  gift  of  a  park  to  the  city, 
and  that  if  he  should  not  do  so  in  his  lifetime  he  would  undoubtedly  provide  for 
such  a  gift  in  his  will.  As  is  well  known,  he  did  nothing  of  the  kind  either  by  di- 
rect gift  or  will.  There  was  much  disappointment  when  it  was  realized  that  no 
such  public  benefaction  had  been  made,  and  the  great  reputation  he  enjoyed  in 
his  lifetime  suffered  in  the  comments  of  the  press  after  his  death.  It  should,  how- 
ever, be  borne  in  mind  that  Wentworth's  great  public  services  entitle  him  to  a 
high  place  in  the  regard  of  the  people  of  Chicago,  and  he  should  be  remembered 
for  these  rather  than  for  any  omissions  in  making  generous  gifts  to  the  public 
which  might  be  charged  against  him. 

WILLIAM     B.    OGDEN 

One  of  the  men  who  came  to  Chicago  as  a  result  of  the  dealings  in  land  that  took 
place  in  1835  was  William  B.  Ogden.  He  came  from  Delaware  county,  New 
York,  when  he  was  thirty  years  old,  to  take  charge  of  some  property  interests 
which  were  put  in  his  hands.3  At  first  the  swamps  and  prairies  seemed  to  him 

•Andreas:   I   618. 


JOHN   DEAN   CATON  PI-IILO  CARPENTER 


THOMAS    IIOYNE 


MA  UK     SKINNER 


FRANCIS    C.     SHERMAN 


HUGH   T.   DICKEY  w    B    OGDEN  NORMAN  B.  JUDD 

Early    resident   of   Chicago.  Mr     Ogden    was    the    first  Early    resident   of   Chicago, 

Judge  of  the  county  court  and  mavor     Oj     Chicago      having  friend  of  Lincoln,  by  whom  he 

„„„    nf    ihr.    rn^A^t.    ~f    +>,„  '  wag     appointed     minister     to 

Prussia.     Elected   to   congress 
in  1870. 


one   of    the    founders    of    the   t.ome  to  tne  town  in'  1835. 
Chicago  Library  Association. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  329 

desolate  and  of  little  promise,  but  in  throwing  himself  into  the  work  of  surveying 
and  selling  the  land  he  became  convinced  of  the  great  commercial  possibilities  in 
the  city's  location  and  decided  to  remain  to  promote  and  participate  in  her  growth. 
Soon  after  his  becoming  a  resident  here  he  became  prominent  in  forwarding  public 
enterprises,  being  active  in  a  large  number  of  movements  to  build  up  Chicago  and 
the  West.  He  advocated  the  building  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal;  was 
one  of  the  projectors  and  the  president  of  the  Galena  and  Chicago  Union  Rail- 
road, the  first  road  entering  the  city;  a  builder  and  administrator  of  other  roads 
in  the  West,  among  them  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Company;  the  president  of 
large  and  diverse  undertakings,  such  as  the  board  of  sewerage  commissioners  of 
Chicago,  the  old  University  of  Chicago,  Rush  Medical  College,  the  Chicago  branch 
of  the  State  Bank  of  Illinois;  and  was  interested  with  Mr.  McCormick  in  the 
promotion  of  the  McCormick  Harvester,  and  in  introducing  it  throughout  the 
West.  To  all  of  those  works  he  gave  his  support,  his  time  and  his  money,  and  he 
was  worthy  of  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  townsmen. 

Two  years  after  his  arrival  in  Chicago,  upon  the  incorporation  of  the  city, 
he  was  chosen  the  first  mayor,  defeating  John  H.  Kinzie  for  that  office.  At  the 
time  of  the  panic  of  1837,  when  crowds  of  frenzied  men  were  crying  "Repudiation 
— relief  laws — anything  to  save  us  from  our  creditors !"  Mr.  Ogden,  in  a  speech 
to  the  people,  urged  them  not  thus  to  proclaim  abroad  their  own  misfortune  and 
dishonor,  and  give  up  by  such  folly  what  might  be  saved  by  concealing  their  weak- 
ness and  by  courage.  In  spite  of  the  violent  feeling  that  prevailed  in  the  throng, 
his  words  were  effective,  and  to  the  spirit  they  engendered  was  largely  due  the  final 
recovery  of  credit.  His  eloquence  on  this  and  on  other  occasions  was  made  the 
more  convincing  by  his  own  courage  and  good  sense. 

BECOMES    A    RAILWAY    MAGNATE 

"The  Railway  King  of  the  West"  was  a  name  appropriately  given  him,  for 
he  had  promoted  and  administered  roads  in  the  West,  South  and  East,  and  was 
the  first  president  of  the  great  Chicago  and  North-Western  Railway.  When  the 
panic  of  1857  came,  Mr.  Ogden,  as  endorser  for  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul  and  Fond 
du  Lac  Railroad  Company,  was  heavily  involved,  though  in  the  end  suffering  no 
loss.  Among  the  offers  made  by  many  of  his  friends  to  help  him  through  this  time 
of  anxiety  was  a  quaint  note  sent  by  a  Scotch  noblemen  whom  he  knew:  "My  dear 
Mr.  Ogden: — I  hear  you  are  in  trouble.  I  have  placed  to  your  credit  in  New 
York  £100,000.  If  you  get  through  I  know  you  will  return  it;  if  you  don't,  Jeanie 
and  I  will  never  miss  it."  Though  these  offers  for  help  were  not  accepted,  they 
indicate  the  friendliness  and  confidence  which  he  evoked  on  all  sides  from  men 
whom  he  met  in  business,  in  travel  and  in  his  social  life.  For  not  only  was 
he  able  in  the  immense  undertakings  in  which  he  was  active,  but  he  was  a  man 
of  broad  culture,  through  reading,  travel,  and  attention  to  the  fine  arts.  In  his 
home  there  was  a  fine  hospitality,  his  mother  and  his  sisters  assisting  him  in  his 
duties  of  host. 

Politically,  Mr.  Ogden  was  known  as  a  Democrat ;  when  the  slavery  question 
arose  he  was  of  the  free  soil  party.  He  supported  Lincoln  in  1860,  and  was 
elected  to  the  Illinois  Senate  on  the  same  ticket.  He  supported  the  war  to  main- 


330  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

tain  the  Union,  but  opposed  the  emancipation  proclamation  and  the  policy  of  the 
administration,  thus  antagonizing  the  Republican  party. 

His  later  years  Mr.  Ogden  spent  in  New  York,  in  his  home  on  the  Harlem  River. 
At  the  time  of  the  Great  Fire  he  hurried  back  to  Chicago  at  once,  to  find  the  city 
that  he  had  helped  to  build  in  smoke  and  ruins.  There  still  stood,  alone  on  the 
North  Side,  the  home  of  his  brother,  Mahlon  D.  Ogden. 

He  was  married  late  in  life,  in  1875,  to  Miss  Mariana  Arnot,  of  Elmira,  N. 
Y.  Two  years  later  he  died  at  his  New  York  home.  Healy,  the  artist,  said  of 
him  that  he  compared  well,  in  his  conversational  ability,  with  the  best  three  he 
had  ever  met:  Louis  Phillippe,  John  Quincy  Adams  and  Dr.  Bronson.  Guizot, 
the  French  historian,  said  of  him,  "That  is  the  representative  American,  who  is  a 
benefactor  of  his  country,  especially  of  the  mighty  West ;  he  built  Chicago."  In 
a  city  where  much  honor  has  been  given  to  Mr.  Ogden,  one  of  the  finest  memorials 
to  him  is  the  Ogden  Graduate  School  of  Science  at  the  great  university  which  is 
the  successor  of  that  earlier  institution  in  which  he  was  deeply  interested  and  of 
which  he  was  the  second  president.  By  the  terms  of  his  will,  the  executors  and 
trustees  were  able  to  make  a  large  gift  to  the  University  of  Chicago,  to  provide 
for  and  maintain  a  graduate  school  of  science.  In  this  foundation  will  the  mem- 
ory of  the  city's  first  mayor  and  an  honored  citizen  be  perpetuated. 

DIARY    OF    WALTER    BROWN 

It  will  be  interesting  to  the  readers  of  this  history  to  peruse  a  portion  of  the 
diary  of  Mr.  Walter  Brown,  who  in  1844  passed  through  Chicago  on  a  journey 
from  Maine  to  the  Illinois  River.  Walter  Brown  was  the  father  of  Edwin  Lee 
Brown,  who  came  to  Chicago  in  1860. 

"After  passing  the  Straits  of  Mackinac,"  wrote  Mr.  Brown,  "we  then  enter 
Lake  Michigan,  which  is  380  miles  long;  and  as  we  pass  up  the  Lake  the  first 
place  we  come  to  is  Milwaukee  in  Wisconsin  territory.  It  is  a  village  of  about 
eight  thousand  inhabitants.  I  think  this  place  will  one  day  do  a  great  business  on 
account  of  its  situation  upon  the  lake,  and  the  valuable  extent  of  the  country  back, 
which  must  in  time  bring  a  large  amount  of  the  products  of  the  soil  to  be  shipped 
to  market. 

"We  then  pass  on  to  Little  Fort  (Waukegan)  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Illi- 
nois, a  place  where  there  is  considerable  business  done.  We  then  pass  on  to  Chi- 
cago at  the  head  of  the  Lake  and  cornering  on  to  the  northwest  corner  of  the  state 
of  Indiana. 

"Chicago  has  about  twelve  thousand  inhabitants.  The  city  extends  over  a  large 
space  of  land  and  is  upon  a  prairie.  It  is  sp  level  that  there  is  no  chance  for 
draining,  and  the  houses  are  generally  level  with  the  top  of  the  ground,  and  there 
are  no  cellars  in  the  city  except  those  that  are  built  upon  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
The  streets  are  generally  rounded  up  by  plowing  and  making  ditches  on  each  side 
of  the  street.  Consequently  the  filth  of  the  city  such  as  comes  from  houses  gener- 
ally, and  the  stables  of  horses  and  cattle  standing  near  the  streets,  causes  a  filthy 
condition  which  is  very  disagreeable,  when  you  consider  that  those  ditches  are 
full  of  water  and  must  dry  away  by  the  heat  of  the  sun. 

"The  water  was  foul  and  completely  green  in  those  ditches  the  second  day  of 


From  photograph  taken  in  1S70 

MRS.    ADALINE     (NICHOLS) 
HEARTT 

Oldest  living  resident  of  Chicago. 
Born,  Fort  Niagara,  New  York,  March 
21,  1831.  Came  to  Chicago,  June  15, 
1832.  Daughter  of  Luther  Nichols, 
soldier  at  Fort  Dearborn. 


From  the  frontispiece  of  the  Chicago  Directory  of  1845 

CHICAGO  IN  1845 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  331 

September  (184-1)  when  I  was  there,  although  I  think  the  place  is  much  more 
healthy  than  anyone  would  suppose.  It  lies  upon  the  lake  and  often  the  breeze 
from  the  lake  is  refreshing  and  keeps  the  air  much  purer  than  it  otherwise  would 
be.  I  think  the  people  are  generally  indolent  [meaning  careless].  I  did  not  see 
a  single  specimen  of  vegetables  growing  in  the  city  and  but  few  flower  gardens. 
The  lands  generally  around  the  houses  are  not  fenced  but  lie  open  like  a  common. 
Going  to  the  western  part  of  the  city  you  behold  an  ocean  of  prairie  as  far  as  the 
eye  can  extend  until  it  is  lost  in  the  distance. 

"There  is  a  great  amount  of  business  done  here.  There  is  a  vast  extent  of 
fertile  country  back  of  this  place,  the  products  of  which  must  center  at  this  place 
for  a  market,  or  be  shipped  from  there  to  Buffalo.  In  the  morning  as  I  was  walk- 
ing out  I  saw  cartload  after  cartload  of  watermelons  and  muskmelons  that  were 
offered  for  sale  from  six  to  twelve  cents  each,  and  their  size  was  about  as  large 
as  our  pumpkins  are  generally.  The  best  beef  I  ever  ate  was  considered  worth 
from  two  to  two  and  a  half  cents  per  pound.  The  number  of  vessels  in  the  harbor, 
is  I  should  think,  about  fifty,  besides  seven  large  steamboats.  The  amount  of 
goods  sold  is  much  larger  than  at  our  place  [Bangor,  Maine],  and  a  greater  por- 
tion of  them  are  drygoods. 

"We  left  Chicago  in  the  morning,  after  stopping  two  days,  for  the  Illinois 
River,  by  stage,  the  journey  to  extend  one  hundred  and  ten  miles,  and  arrived  at 
Peru  on  the  fifth  day  of  October,  very  much  fatigued  from  riding  one  day,  one 
night  and  the  next  day  until  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  to  get  over  the  one 
hundred  and  ten  miles  of  the  prairie  all  the  distance,  and  as  bad  a  track  as  you 
ever  saw.  The  sloughs  and  mud  holes  were  so  bad  that  we  had  to  get  out  and  walk 
about  twenty  times,  I  should  think,  and  then  the  driver  would  drive  his  horses  with 
all  possible  speed  so  that  the  coach  should  not  stick  in  the  mud;  and  in  going  this 
distance  we  pass  over  a  prairie  that  is  unsettled  and  never  will  be,  I  think.  It  is 
low  and  wet  and  where  there  were  human  beings  they  looked  as  though  they  ought 
to  be  buried  or  taken  to  the  insane  hospital.  I  should  think  from  their  appearance 
that  the  children  are  growing  up  without  knowing  one  letter  from  another  and 
never  knowing  when  the  Sabbath  comes.  They  are  dirty,  filthy  creatures,  and 
no  ambition  to  be  otherwise. 

"While  on  our  way  from  Chicago  to  Peru  by  the  above  route  I  should  think  we 
met  one  hundred  teams  laden  with  wheat  and  oats,  and  some  of  them  had  been 
upon  the  road  ten  days.  The  roads  were  so  bad  that  a  span  of  horses  hauled  only 
about  twenty  to  twenty-five  bushels  of  wheat  at  a  load;  and  when  they  arrived  at 
Chicago  if  their  wheat  weighed  sixty  pounds  to  the  bushel  they  could  get  fifty-six 
cents  per  bushel  for  it.  Some  go  with  ox  teams  and  that  is  slower  yet,  but  the 
teamsters  take  it  fair  and  easy.  They  sit  upon  their  carts  day  after  day,  and  when 
night  overtakes  them  they  turn  out  the  oxen  and  lie  down  on  or  under  the  cart,  and 
thus  pass  the  night.  A  farmer  told  me  that  it  took  him  all  day  to  get  to  mill,  and 
then  if  he  carried  corn  he  had  to  give  one-half  for  toll  and  that  was  the  best  the 
miller  would  do." 

NICHOLS-HE  ARTT 

A  name  that  connects  the  period  of  the  early  thirties  directly  with  the  present 
is  that  of  Adaline  Nichols  Heartt,  who  when  but  one  year  old  arrived  at  Fort 


332  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

Dearborn  with  her  parents,  on  July  20,  1832.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Luther 
and  Ellen  Nichols,  who  came  with  General  Scott's  army  at  the  time  of  the  Black 
Hawk  war.  Luther  Nichols  remained  in  Chicago  until  his  death  in  1881,  and  dur- 
ing his  life  occupied  positions  of  responsibility,  having  been  chief  of  the  Fire 
Department  in  1840  and  1841,  and  captain  of  police  in  1855  in  Mayor  Boone's 
administration. 

Adaline  Nichols  in  later  years  married  Abram  Heartt.  She  is  now  a  widow 
and  at  this  writing  (April,  1911)  is  a  resident  of  this  city.  Her  name  appears  in 
the  Daily  News  Almanac's  list  of  old  residents  among  those  who  arrived  in  1832, 
there  being  no  arrivals  in  the  record  who  came  previous  to  that  year. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

PROPHECIES  AND   REALITY— NEWBERRY  LIBRARY,  ETC. 

PROPHECIES  OF  THE  COMMERCIAL  GREATNESS  OF  THE  WEST BALESTIER's  PROPHECY 

JEREMIAH    PORTER'S   ADDRESS — A    BOSTON    PROPHECY    OF    CHICAGO'S    POPULATION 

MADE    IN    1868 POPULATION    GIVEN    BY    DECADES    SINCE    1860 JUDGE    SMITH'S 

PROPHECY   OF   POPULATION THE    NEWBEHRYS OLIVER   NEWBERRY NEWBERRY   & 

DOLE WALTER  L.   NEWBERRY A  PATRON   OF   ART  AND   A   LIBERAL    CONTRIBUTOR 

TO    BOOK    COLLECTIONS HIS   DEATH    AT    SEA HIS    SPLENDID    PROVISION    FOR    A 

"PUBLIC"  LIBRARY THE  NEWBERRY  LIBRARY LAKE  STREET  IN  THE  FIFTIES  AND 

SIXTIES OLD    TIME    BUSINESS    FIRMS THE    PRINCE    OF    WALES'    VISIT CHOLERA 

VISITATIONS MORTALITY  AMONG  THE  TROOPS  OF  GENERAL  SCOTT'S  ARMY VISITA- 
TION OF  1849- — THE  "GREAT  CHOLERA  YEAR"  OF  1854 — LAST  APPEARANCE  IN  1866 

SKETCHES  OF(   CHARLES   B.   FARWELL   AND   JOHN   V.   FARWELL THE   TEXAS   CAPITOL 

BUILT    BY    THE    FARWELLS THE    TEXAS    PANHANDLE    LANDS SKETCH    OF    MARSHALL 

FIELD — -HIS    GREAT    SUCCESS    AS    A    MERCHANT A    LETTER    WRITTEN    BY    FIELD HIS 

IMMENSE   ESTATE THE   PROVISION   FOR    THE    MUSEUM LANGUAGE    OF    THE    BEQUEST. 

PROPHECIES 

HE  editor  of  the  Niles  Register,  writing  in  August,  1814,  while  the  war  be- 
tween Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  was  still  in  progress,  gives 
expression  to  his  views  on  the  internal  commerce  of  the  country,  espe- 
cially as  it  affected  the  West,  in  the  following  forcible  manner:  "I  have 
spoken  of  the  Western  country  as  likely  to  become  commercial.  There 
is  no  word  in  the  English  language  that  more  deceives  a  people  than  the  word 
commerce.  Englishmen  and  Americans,  too  much  alike,  alas !  in  many  things, 
associate  with  it  an  idea  of  great  ships,  passing  to  all  countries — whereas  the  rich 
commerce  of  every  country  is  its  internal;  a  communication  of  one  part  with  other 
parts  of  same.  The  foreign  commerce  of  Great  Britain  with  all  her  colonies  and 
dependencies,  and  all  her  singular  advantages,  is  not  one-fifth  as  important  to  her 
as  her  home  business,  and,  in  the  United  States,  (were  we  at  peace)  our  foreign 
trade  would  hardly  exceed  a  fortieth  or  fiftieth  part  of  the  whole  commerce  of  the 
people." 

In  the  same  issue  of  the  Register  occur  some  rather  striking  comments  regard- 
ing the  proposed  canal,  which  even  at  that  early  period  was  the  subject  of  dis- 
cussion among  thoughtful  men.  "By  the  Illinois  River,"  says  the  editor,  "it  is 
probable  that  Buffalo  in  New  York,  may  be  united  with  New  Orleans  by  inland 
navigation,  through  Lake  Erie,  Huron  and  Michigan  and  down  that  river  [sic] 
to  the  Mississippi.  What  a  route!  How  stupendous  the  idea!  How  dwindles 

333 


334  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

the  importance  of  the  artificial  canals  of  Europe,  compared  with  this  water  com- 
munication!  If  it  should  ever  take  place  (and  it  is  said  the  opening  may  be  easily 
made),  the  territory  [of  Illinois]  will  become  the  seat  of  an  immense  commerce, 
and  a  market  for  the  commodities  of  all  regions." 

Mr.  C.  C.  Trowbridge,  writing  to  the  secretary  of  the  Wisconsin  State  His- 
torical Society,  said:  "Even  as  late  as  1834,  I  declined  becoming  a  party  to  the 
purchase  of  one-fourth  of  the  'Kinzie  Addition,'  Chicago,  located  on  the  North 
Side,  at  five  thousand  dollars.  Ten  years  prior  to  that  I  was  in  Chicago,  and 
would  not  have  given  that  sum  for  both  sides  of  the  river  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
extend." 

Keen  observers,  however,  were  frequently  making  the  discovery  that  the  future 
of  Chicago  was  full  of  possibilities,  and  in  Peck's  "Gazetteer  of  Illinois"  (pub- 
lished in  1837),  the  author  comments  thus:  "The  natural  position  of  the  place, 
the  enterprise  and  capital  that  will  concentrate  here,  with  favorable  prospects 
for  health,  must  soon  make  this  place  the  emporium  of  trade  and  business  for  all 
the  northern  country." 

BALESTIER'S  PROPHECY  OF  POPULATION 

In  the  year  1840,  Joseph  N.  Balestier,  then  a  young  lawyer  of  Chicago,  made 
an  address  before  the  Chicago  Lyceum  taking  as  his  subject  the  "Annals  of  Chi- 
cago." This  address  was  printed  and  in  due  time  became  a  much  sought  for  rarity, 
finally  being  republished  by  the  Fergus  Printing  Company  in  1876  as  Number  One 
of  the  Fergus  Historical  Series.  The  year  following  the  delivery  of  this  lecture 
Mr.  Balestier  returned  to  his  old  home  in  Vermont,  and  when  the  address  referred 
to  was  about  to  be  reprinted  he  wrote  an  introduction  for  it.  He  humorously  refers 
to  his  pamphlet  long  since  out  of  print,  and  indulges  in  a  flight  of  fancy  regarding 
the  future  of  Chicago.  "If,  in  the  year  1911,"  he  says,  "the  belated  traveler, 
who  has  just  missed  the  air-boat  at  Sitka,  shall  curiously  look  over  the  volumes 
in  the  Alaska  State  Library — warmly  bound  in  seal-skin — he  may  chance  to 
alight  upon  this  modest  pamphlet.  He  will  be  a  Chicago  man,  and  will  have  left 
behind  him,  a  week  before,  a  proud  and  opulent  city  of  two  million  inhabitants ; 
a  city  built  of  non-inflammable  materials,  partly  within  and  partly  without  the 
forty  miles  of  boulevards  which  the  foresight  of  the  present  has  wisely  and  liber- 
ally provided  for  the  use  of  the  future.  Will  it  be  too  much  to  ask  of  him  to 
telegraph  a  sprightly  review  of  these  then  forgotten  pages  to  the  Chicago  Tribune, 
by  the  new  process?  My  heirs  will  cheerfully  pay  the  expense." 

In  the  year  1859y  the  Rev.  Jeremiah  Porter  made  an  address  before  the  Chi- 
cago Historical  Society  reviewing  some  of  the  events  of  the  early  thirties.  "The 
report  had  gone  through  the  land,"  he  said,  "that,  in  addition  to  the  lighthouse, 
a  pier  was  to  be  built,  making  the  Chicago  River  a  harbor,  and  that  a  canal  would 
be  dug,  connecting  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Illinois  River;  in  that  case,  Illinois 
farmers  would  find  an  Eastern  market,  and  corn  would  rise  in  price,  from  twelve 
cents  and  a  half  to  half  a  dollar.  This  the  farmer  of  interior  Illinois  could  not 
credit,  but  Eastern  capitalists  and  farmers  guessed  it  might  be  so.  DeWitt  Clin- 
ton's Erie  Canal  had  made  the  journey  through  New  York  easy,  and  a  tide  of 
population  had  begun  to  flow  through  it  to  the  corn-bearing  prairies  of  Illinois. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  335 

Black  Hawk  was  gone,  and  fears  of  Indian  massacres  were  subsiding.  Eastern 
emigration  began  at  once  to  reach  Chicago,  so  that  a  gentleman  who  had  come 
from  Washington  to  make  his  home  here,  was  so  bold  as  to  wager  that  'in  five  years 
there  would  be  five  thousand  inhabitants  in  this  place.'  An  army  officer  replied  to 
this  assertion,  'That  cannot  be,  for  there  is  no  back  country  to  sustain  a  city.'  But 
the  most  sanguine  never  dreamed  of  what  we  see  today,  in  twenty-five  years,  one 
hundred  thousand.  The  stream  then  setting  towards  our  rich  prairies  has  made  a 
back  country  that  well  supports  the  present  wondrous  city." 

PROPHECIES  OF  POPULATION 

The  Boston  Traveller,  early  in  March,  1868,  published  an  estimate  of  Chicago, 
which  was  reprinted  in  one  of  the  Chicago  papers :  "When  it  is  -considered  that 
the  present  population  is  220,000  to  250,000,  and  we  give  only  the  lowest  estimate, 
it  is  fair  to  assume  that  the  accelerated  ratio  of  increase  indicated  in  its  past 
growth  will  make  the  population  of  Chicago  in  1870,  370,000;  in  1880,  600,000; 
in  1890,  1,000,000.  If  any  think  this  estimate  too  large,  let  him  traverse  the  im- 
mense and  rapidly  growing  region  tributary  to  that  city,  see  the  railroads  ex- 
tending from  Chicago  as  a  center  in  every  direction,  and  remember  that  in  1870 
people  expect  to  take  through  cars  for  San  Francisco,  and  pour  the  trade  of  Asia 
over  the  roads  of  which  Chicago  is  the  great  western  center." 

A  comparison  of  this  prophecy  with  subsequent  statistics  of  population  will 
be  of  interest.  In  1868,  the  year  in  which  the  Boston  Traveller's  estimate  was 
made,  the  population  of  Chicago,  as  nearly  as  could  be  ascertained,  was  about 
252,000.  The  United  States  census  figures  for  1860  were  109,206.  Thus  in 
eight  years  there  had  been  an  increase  of  nearly  two  and  one-half  times.  And 
this  was  the  more  remarkable  when  it  is  remembered  that  within  that  period  a  war 
of  four  years'  duration,  with  its  great  drain  of  men  to  supply  the  armies,  had 
taken  place.  In  spite  of  that  the  city  continued  to  grow  at  a  prodigious  rate,  while 
it  was  steadily  nearing  the  time  when  its  principal  portion  would  be  laid  in  ashes. 

In  the  year  1870,  the  government  census  gave  the  population  of  Chicago  as 
306,605,  which  was  somewhat  short  of  the  Boston  Traveller's  estimate,  but  still  a 
remarkable  advance  upon  the  figures  of  the  previous  decade.  Again  in  1880,  the 
census  showed  a  population  of  503,298,  which  was  still  considerably  below  the 
Traveller's  estimate;  but  in  1890,  the  actual  census  figures,  namely,  1,099,850,  quite 
surpass  those  of  the  Traveller.  It  will  be  a  matter  of  general  interest,  while  this 
subject  is  under  review,  to  give  the  figures  of  population  for  each  of  the  ten-year 
periods  from  1860  to  1910,  inclusive. 

1860 109,206 

1870 306,605 

1880 503,298 

1890 1,099,850 

1900 1,698,575 

1910 2,185,283 

PROPHECIES  OF  POPULATION 

At  the  time  of  the  formal  beginning  of  work  on  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal, 
in  1836,  several  speeches  were  made,  among  them  one  by  Judge  Theophilus  W. 


336  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

Smith,  at  that  time  one  of  the  judges  of  the  Illinois  Supreme  Court.  "While  neither 
a  prophet  nor  the  son  of  a  prophet,"  said  he,  "yet  I  feel  the  spirit  of  prophecy  in 
me  this  day.  Fellow  citizens,  in  ten  years  from  this  time  you  will  see  a  city  on  the 
borders  of  Lake  Michigan  containing  ten  thousand  people.  Yes,  fellow  citizens,  in 
twenty  years  you  will  see  twenty  thousand,  and  in  fifty  years,  you  will  see  a  city 
of  fifty  thousand  people."  An  Irishman  present  called  out,  "Aye,  aye,  Judge,  now, 
we  won't  be  here,  so  we  can't  see  how  big  a  lie  you  are  telling."  But  that  didn't 
stop  the  Judge,  and  he  continued  again,  "Yes,  fellow  citizens,  in  one  hundred  years 
from  this  time  you  will  see  a  city  of  one  hundred  thousand  people !" 

This  proved  too  much  for  his  hearers,  and  as  Mr.  Fernando  Jones  relates  it,  they 
"took  him  off  the  barrel  he  was  standing  on  and  gave  him  a  little  something  to 
drink,  and  scattered  water  in  his  face."  Presently  some  one  asked  him  how  he  felt, 
and  he  said  that  he  felt  better.  "Arrah,"  said  the  Irishman,  "if  we  had  not  stopped 
you,  you  would  have  made  it  a  million." 

THE    NEWBERRYS  • — OLIVER   NEWBERRY 

In  the  publications  of  the  Buffalo  Historical  Society,  in  the  volume  for  1902, 
there  is  mention  of  Oliver  Newberry,  who,  it  is  stated,  kept  a  grocery  store  in  Buf- 
falo in  the  early  twenties,  and  carried  on  a  trade  with  the  "natives,"  that  is  the 
Indians  of  that  neighborhood.  He  was  "prompt  and  honorable  in  his  dealings," 
and  was  said  to  have  been  quite  eccentric  in  his  habits,  wearing  an  "Indian  blanket 
coat  in  winter,"  and  his  memory  was  so  good  that  he  did  not  find  it  necessary  to 
keep  books  of  account.  "He  built  and  put  afloat  quite  a  fleet  of  sail  and  steam  ves- 
sels," it  is  said,  and,  taking  a  great  interest  in  the  life  and  campaigns  of  Napoleon, 
he  named  some  of  his  vessels  Napoleon,  Marengo,  Marshal  Ney,  Austerlitz  and 
Lodi.  Other  steamers  in  his  fleet  were  named  the  Michigan,  the  Illinois  (first  and 
second),  the  Oliver  Newberry  and  the  Nile. 

About  the  year  1824  or  1825,  Mr.  Newberry  located  in  Detroit,  and  in  1828  he 
came  to  Chicago  in  his  own  schooner  Napoleon  on  a  visit,  and  in  1834  he  became  a 
partner  with  George  W.  Dole  in  a  forwarding  business  at  Chicago  under  the  firm 
name  of  Newberry  &  Dole,  although  continuing  to  reside  at  Detroit  until  his  death. 
Oliver  Newberry's  brother,  Walter  L.  Newberry,  became  a  resident  of  Chicago  in 
1883;  of  him  we  shall  speak  in  another  paragraph. 

WALTER    L.    NEWBERRY 

A  representative  citizen  of  Chicago,  of  whom  we  shall  here  give  some  account, 
was  Walter  L.  Newberry.  He  was  a  brother  of  Oliver  Newberry  previously  spoken 
of,  and  came  to  Chicago  in  1833,  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine,  having  been  born  Sep- 
tember 18th,  1804.  In  the  directory  of  1839  his  name  is  given,  and  his  occupation 
is  indicated  by  the  words  "attorney  and  real  estate."  His  office  was  with  New- 
berry  &  Dole,  the  firm  in  which  his  brother,  Oliver  Newberry  was  a  partner,  at  the 
corner  of  North  Water  and  Rush  Streets.  Newberry  &  Dole  were  engaged  in  the 
forwarding  and  commission  business. 

That  he  was  a  public  spirited  citizen  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  his  name  is  con- 
stantly found  in  connection  with  the  literary,  educational  and  artistic  movements 


WALTER    LOOMIS    NEWBERRY 
Founder  of   Newberry    Library 


THE   XEWBERRY   LIBRARY 

A  public  Reference  Library  situated  on  Walton  Place  be- 
tween North  Clark  street  and  Dearborn  avenue,  facing  Wash- 
ington Square.  The  gift  to  the  city  of  Walter  L.  Xewberry. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  337 

and  developments  of  the  early  days.  In  1841  he  joined  with  others  in  establishing 
the  Young  Men's  Association  of  Chicago,  the  main  object  of  which  was  the  formation 
of  a  library  of  books  and  the  maintenance  of  a  reading  room.  It  began  with  a 
membership  of  two  hundred.  Each  of  the  members  paid  two  dollars  as  an  initiation 
fee,  and  agreed  to  pay  the  same  amount  every  year.  Walter  L.  Newberry  presented 
a  collection  of  books  to  the  association,  and  other  members  also  made  generous  do- 
nations. The  association  continued  in  existence  until  the  fire  of  1871,  when  its 
collection  was  destroyed.  It  was  never  revived  because  the  Chicago  Public  Library 
supplied  its  place. 

In  1855  Mr.  Newberry  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Health  under  Mayor 
Augustus  Garrett's  administration.  He  cooperated  in  forming  an  Art  Exposition 
in  1859,  the  object  of  which  was  to  secure  loans  of  art  works  for  exhibition,  a 
movement  which  proved  highly  successful.  In  1862  he  established  the  "Newberry 
Fund"  of  one  thousand  dollars,  "the  interest  of  which  is  to  be  applied  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  Newberry  School,  in  procuring  text  books  for  indigent  children,  school 
apparatus  and  books  for  reference."  Mr.  Newberry  became  president  of  the  Chi- 
cago Historical  Society  in  1863,  and  at  the  same  time  was  a  liberal  benefactor  of 
that  institution.  In  the  same  year  he  with  many  others  contributed  to  the  success 
of  the  Northwestern  Sanitary  Fair  by  loaning  works  of  art  to  the  Art  Gallery, 
which  was  a  notable  feature  of  the  Fair.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  Mr.  Newberry 
was  a  patron  of  art,  education  and  literature,  and  the  later  endowment  of  the  great 
library  which  bears  his  name  is  completely  in  harmony  with  the  tastes  and  activities 
of  his  life. 

Mr.  Newberry  died  at  sea,  November  6th,  1868,  under  pathetic  circumstances. 
His  wife  and  two  daughters  were  making  a  visit  to  Europe,  and  he  was  on  his  way 
to  join  them  in  France.  The  incidents  of  the  voyage  were  printed  in  the  Chicago 
Inter-Ocean  some  years  after  the  events  described,  and  are  quoted,  as  follows: 

"The  evening  before  his  death  he  was  apparently  as  well  as  usual,  and  he  ate 
supper  with  the  other  passengers.  Opposite  him  at  the  table  was  a  Catholic  priest, 
with  whom  he  spoke  at  some  length  in  reference  to  his  failing  health,  and  of  his 
wife  and  daughters,  who  were  waiting  for  him  at  the  port  of  destination  in  France, 
and  the  pleasant  anticipations  he  entertained  of  meeting  them  on  his  arrival.  He 
stated  that  he  was  from  Chicago ;  and,  as  the  clergyman  was  well  acquainted  there, 
it  turned  out  in  the  course  of  subsequent  conversation  that  they  had  a  number  of 
common  friends  in  that  place  and  vicinity. 

"Mr.  Newberry  retired  at  the  usual  time  complaining  that  he  felt  very  ill  and 
weak.  Next  morning  he  was  missed  from  breakfast,  and  a  little  later  the  passengers 
were  startled  to  learn  that  he  had  died  during  the  night.  A  few  hours  afterwards 
the  officers  of  the  steamer  began  to  make  the  customary  preparations  to  commit  the 
remains  to  the  deep.  Fortunately,  however,  the  clergyman  whose  acquaintance  he 
had  made  the  evening  before  interposed,  and  very  earnestly  and  warmly  protested 
against  any  such  proceedings.  He  said  that  the  widow  and  daughters  of  the  dead 
man  were  anxiously  expecting  his  arrival  at  the  port  of  destination,  and  that  it 
would  be  cruel  and  shocking  in  the  extreme — almost  too  much  for  human  nature  to 
endure — to  deprive  them  even  of  the  last  poor  privilege  of  looking  again  upon  his 
face  and  laying  away  his  remains  with  their  own  hands.  He  appealed  to  the  phy- 


838  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

sician,  and  the  latter  referred  him  to  the  captain.  He  then  saw  the  captain,  related 
such  facts  as  seemed  calculated  to  arouse  sympathy,  called  attention  to  the  age  of 
the  deceased,  and  represented  that  it  could  do  no  possible  harm  to  take  the  body 
ashore  and  deliver  it  to  the  stricken  family.  The  captain  declared  it  to  be  an  imper- 
ative rule  to  consign  to  the  ocean  the  remains  of  all  who  die  on  shipboard,  but,  af- 
fected by  the  circumstances  of  Mr.  Newberry's  death,  he  said  that  he  would  yield 
to  the  clergyman's  request  if  the  physician  could  likewise  be  persuaded  to  do  so. 
Then  the  physician,  a  most  humane  person,  was  seen,  and  after  a  brief  interview  he 
consented  to  keep  the  body  on  board  till  the  arrival  of  the  steamer  in  port,  and  said 
that  he  would  personally  deliver  it  to  Mrs.  Newberry. 

"All  this  he  faithfully  did,  and  the  clergyman,  not  being  acquainted  with  the  fam- 
ily, started  for  Rome.  The  physician,  however,  narrated  all  the  facts  to  Mrs.  New- 
berry,  and  even  gave  her  the  name  of  the  clergyman  through  whose  instrumentality 
the  remains  of  her  husband  were  brought  into  port. 

"Some  weeks  later  the  clergyman  in  question,  being  still  in  Rome,  was  greatly 
surprised  one  day  at  being  accosted  by  a  young  lady,  who  asked:  'Are  you  not  the 
Rev.  Father  Sorin,  of  the  University  of  Notre  Dame,  in  Indiana?'  'Yes,  that  is 
my  name,'  he  said,  for  the  clergyman  referred  to  was  no  other  than  the  Very  Rev- 
erend E.  Sorin,  Superior-General  of  the  Congregation  of  the  Holy  Cross.  She  then 
stated  that  she  was  Miss  Newberry,  that  she  had  ascertained  the  facts  in  regard  to 
the  death  of  her  father,  that  the  physician  stated  that  the  remains  would  have  been 
consigned  to  the  deep  but  for  the  intervention  of  Father  Sorin,  and  that  she  wanted 
to  thank  him  for  his  kind  offices  on  behalf  of  her  mother,  her  sister,  and  herself. 
Father  Sorin  never  met  her  afterwards,  nor  did  he  ever  meet  any  other  member  of 
the  family,  but  he  felt  deeply  touched  by  her  manifestations  of  filial  devotion." 

Mr.  Newberry  had  made  his  will  two  years  before  his  death.  In  the  will  he 
directed  that  in  case  of  the  death  of  both  of  his  daughters,  without  issue,  then  im- 
mediately after  the  death  of  his  wife,  if  she  survived  them,  the  trustees  named  in 
the  will  should  apply  one-half  of  the  estate  to  the  founding  of  a  "free  public  li- 
brary," to  be  located  "in  that  part  of  Chicago  known  as  the  North  Division."  Both 
daughters  died  unmarried,  one  in  1874,  the  other  in  1876.  Mrs.  Newberry  died  in 
1885,  thus  leaving  the  trustees  free  to  establish  the  library  as  directed  in  the  will. 
The  value  of  the  entire  estate  at  the  time  of  Mrs.  Newberry's  death  was  about  $4,- 
300,000,  one  half  of  which  was  to  be  devoted  to  the  library,  namely,  $2,150,000. 
The  larger  part  of  this  endowment  being  in  real  estate  the  value  has  materially  in- 
creased since  that  time. 

In  contemplating  this  splendid  monument  of  Mr.  Newberry's  generosity  the 
strange  succession  of  events  by  which  it  came  into  the  possession  of  the  people,  for 
their  perpetual  instruction  and  delight,  is  indeed  very  striking;  and  it  must  awaken 
the  sympathetic  interest  of  every  one  in  the  sad  and  touching  circumstances  by  which 
it  came  into  being.  "It  is  not  improbable,  in  view  of  all  the  circumstances,"  says 
the  writer  above  quoted,  "that  the  lamentable  death  of  Mr.  Newberry  had  much  to 
do  with  accelerating  the  death  of  his  daughters,  who  were  so  tenderly  attached  to 
him;  and  as  for  Mrs.  Newberry,  all  know  that  to  the  last  moment  she  was  an  ex- 
ample of  patient  resignation  and  silent  melancholy — true  to  the  obligations  of  a 
bereaved  widow  and  faithful  to  the  duties  of  a  sorrowing  mother." 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  339 

THE    NEWBEHRY    LIBRARY 

The  origin  of  the  funds  available  for  the  foundation  of  the  great  Newberry 
Library  are  described  in  the  account  given  above  concerning  Mr.  Walter  L. 
Newberry,  and  the  will  under  which  the  gift  was  provided.  When  the  trustees  en- 
tered upon  the  execution  of  their  trust  in  establishing  a  library,  they  found  that 
there  was  available  the  large  sum  of  $2,150,000.  The  values  representing  this 
sum  were  in  the  form  of  real  estate  largely,  which  was  rapidly  increasing  as  time 
elapsed,  so  that  when  a  location  was  decided  upon  and  a  new  building  started  the 
amount  of  the  original  gift  was  very  considerably  increased. 

Dr.  William  F.  Poole,  the  eminent  librarian  who  had  been  in  charge  of  the 
Chicago  Public  Library  since  its  formation,  was  induced  to  undertake  the  task  of 
forming  the  collection  of  the  "Newberry  Library,"  as  it  was  decided  to  call  it. 
The  trustees  also  decided  that  it  should  be  a  library  of  reference,  open  to  the  use 
of  the  public  on  the  premises.  Temporary  quarters  were  provided  for  a  time,  but 
in  1893,  a  new  building,  the  one  now  in  use,  was  completed,  having  a  capacity  for 
one  million  volumes.  The  building  occupies  the  site  of  the  well  known  "Ogden 
Mansion"  which  so  strangely  survived  the  Chicago  fire  of  1871.  It  fronts  on  a 
short  street  called  Walton  Place,  separated  by  that  street  from  a  small  park  known 
as  Washington  Square ;  it  has  a  frontage  of  three  hundred  feet  extending  from  North 
Clark  street  to  Dearborn  avenue,  and  is  built  of  granite  after  a  design  by  Henry 
Ives  Cobb,  who  it  will  be  remembered  was  the  architect  of  the  Fisheries  Building 
at  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition.  The  plan  of  the  library  building  contem- 
plates an  addition  to  the  north  which  when  built  will  more  than  double  its  capacity. 

LAKE    STREET   IN    THE   P.IFTIES   AND    SIXTIES 

During  the  later  fifties  and  earlier  sixties  Lake  Street  was  without  doubt  the 
most  attractive  business  street  in  the  city.  Its  attractiveness  was  of  course  en- 
tirely due  to  its  business  improvements,  in  contrast,  for  example,  with  the  unrivalled 
natural  and  artificial  advantages  possessed  by  Michigan  avenue,  often  said  to  be 
"the  finest  street  in  the  world,"  with  its  avenues  of  shade  trees,  its  superb  outlook 
upon  Lake  Michigan,  and  its  beautiful  residences  ranged  along  its  w  estern  side. 
At  the  eastern  end  of  Lake  street  the  vast  bulk  of  the  Illinois  Central  depot  loomed 
up  and  closed  the  view  in  that  direction.  A  large  sign  on  the  roof  of  the  depot 
(the  time  had  not  yet  arrived  when  the  word  station  superseded  the  word  depot), 
which  bore  the  name  in  letters  of  colossal  size  "Union  Depot,"  easily  visible  as 
far  away  as  the  bridge  over  the  South  Branch  at  the  other  end  of  the  street. 

Along  Lake  street,  from  Michigan  avenue  as  far  west  as  Wells  street  (the  name 
formerly  applied  to  Fifth  avenue)  the  buildings  were  occupied  by  wholesale  and 
retail  stores,  hotels,  and  banks,  and  in  the  upper  stories  of  the  buildings  were  the 
offices  of  lawyers,  doctors  and  real  estate  agents,  the  latter  usually  called  land 
agents.  Generally  the  buildings  did  not  exceed  four  stories  in  height,  though  here 
and  there  were  buildings  five  stories  high,  the  Tremont  House  being  an  example 
of  the  latter  class.  Elevators  in  buildings  had  not  then  come  into  use,  and  stair 
climbing  about  reached  its  limit  for  ordinary  business  use  when  the  fourth  floor  was 
reached.  It  would  have  been  difficult  to  find  use  for  spaces  above  the  fourth  story, 
except  perhaps  a  limited  use  for  storage  purposes;  at  all  events  above  that  height 


340  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

the  space  could  not  have  been  rented  for  offices.  Thus  the  general  height  of  the 
structures  along  the  street  was  more  uniform  than  at  the  present  time,  when  the 
great  differences  in  the  heights  of  buildings  makes  a  broken  and  irregular  sky  line. 
The  perfection  attained  in  the  construction  of  elevators  in  buildings  has  enabled  ar- 
chitects to  carry  buildings  to  any  height,  only  limited  by  the  strength  of  the  ma- 
terials employed  in  their  construction. 

BUSINESS    HOUSES    ON    LAKE    STREET 

It  will  be  interesting  to  recall  some  of  the  better  known  wholesale  and  retail 
concerns  doing  business  on  Lake  Street  at  that  time.  Of  the  dry  goods  stores  there 
was  the  fine  store  of  Potter  Palmer,  afterwards  Field,  Palmer  &  Leiter,  at  number 
137;  Bowen  Brothers,  at  number  100;  T.  B.  Carter  &  Co.,  at  number  136;  Downs 
&  Van  Wyck,  afterwards  A.  G.  Downs  &  Co.,  at  number  150;  W.  M.  Ross  &  Co., 
afterwards  Ross  &  Gossage,  at  number  167;  and  Stryker  &  Co.,  at  number  141. 
On  the  same  street  were  also  the  wholesale  dry  goods  houses  of  Harmon,  Aiken  & 
Gale,  at  number  53;  Savage,  Keith  &  Co.,  at  number  49;  Davis,  Sawyer  &  Co.,  at 
number  42;  and  Richards,  Crumbaugh  &  Shaw,  at  number  22. 

Other  prominent  firms  doing  business  on  Lake  Street  in  those  years  were  as 
follows:  Drugs,  Burnham  &  Smith,  Lord  &  Smith,  J.  H.  Reed  &  Co.,  Smith  & 
Dwyer;  Jewelry,  A.  H.  Miller  &  Co.,  and  Hoard  &  Hoes;  Boots  &  Shoes,  Doggett, 
Basset  &  Hills,  C.  M.  Henderson  &  Co.,  and  Bullock  Brothers;  Clothing,  Field, 
Benedict  &  Co.,  Huntington,  Wadsworth  &  Parks,  A.  D.  Titsworth  &  Co.,  Edward 
Ely  and  H.  H.  Husted  &  Co. ;  Books,  D.  B.  Cooke  &  Co.,  S.  C.  Griggs  &  Co.,  and 
Keen  &  Lee.  There  were  also  on  Lake  Street  the  following  banks :  The  Marine 
Bank,  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Lake  and  La  Salle  Streets;  The  Merchants  Sav- 
ings Loan  and  Trust  Company,  at  number  95,  (where  in  1862,  Lyman  J.  Gage  was 
a  teller)  ;  and  the  bank  of  Greenebaum  Brothers.  The  principal  hotels  on  Lake 
Street  were  the  American  House,  corner  of  Lake  Street  and  Wabash  Avenue;  City 
Hotel,  corner  of  Lake  and  State  Streets ;  and  the  Tremont  House,  on  the  south- 
east corner  of  Lake  and  Dearborn  Streets.  No  attempt  is  here  made  to  give  a 
comprehensive  list  of  the  business  occupants  of  premises  on  Lake  Street,  but  merely 
to  mention  a  few.  A  review  of  the  general  field  of  business  and  industrial  enter- 
prises, as  reflected  in  the  newspapers  and  directories  of  the  time,  will  be  given 
elsewhere  in  this  history. 

THE    PRINCE    OF    WALES'    VISIT 

The  late  king  Edward  VII  was  a  visitor  to  Chicago  in  September,  1860.  Albert 
Edward,  Prince  of  Wales,  as  he  was  then  called,  was  a  young  man  of  nineteen, 
and  was  traveling  under  the  name  of  Baron  Renfrew,  one  of  his  titles  of  nobility. 
With  his  party  he  reached  the  city  on  a  special  train  over  the  Michigan  Central 
Railroad,  coming  from  Canada,  where  he  had  landed  some  time  previously.  He 
was  welcomed  by  a  great  crowd  at  the  station,  and  the  route  taken  to  the  Rich- 
mond House,  situated  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Michigan  avenue  and  South  Water 
street,  was  lined  with  people,  and  thousands  of  them  enjoyed  a  "fair  view  of  the 
entire  party,"  as  one  of  the  papers  of  the  day  described  it. 

"Soon  after  the  appearance  of  the  Prince,"  said  a  writer  in  the  Tribune,  "Mayor 
John  Wentworth,  William  B.  Ogden,  William  Bross,  and  E.  W.  McComas,  com- 
posing a  committee  appointed  for  the  occasion,  presented  an  address  of  welcome  to 


RICHMOND    HOUSE,    CORNER    SOUTH    WATER    STREET   AND 
MICHIGAN   AVENUE 

In  1800,  Albert  Edward,  then  Prince  of  Wales,  stopped  here  during 
his  visit  in  Chicago 


LRMORY— ADAMS    AND    MARKET    STREETS 
ABOUT    18tio 


NORTHEAST    CORNER   OF   LAKE  AND   CLA 
STREETS  ABOUT  1865 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  341 

Lord  Lyons,  the  British  minister  accompanying  the  Prince."  During  his  brief 
stay  he  appeared  on  the  balcony  in  view  of  the  people,  and  took  a  drive  on  Michi- 
gan avenue  as  far  as  Twelfth  street.  He  also  visited  one  of  the  great  grain  ele- 
vators and  witnessed  the  process  of  loading  a  vessel  with  grain.  On  this  part 
of  the  trip  he  was  accompanied  by  Mr.  Fernando  Jones  to  explain  its  workings, 
and  presumably,  to  entertain  him  with  a  few  stories.  The  party  left  here  and 
went  to  Dwight,  Illinois,  where  the  Prince  inspected  a  large  grain  farm  and  en- 
gaged in  the  sport  of  prairie  chicken  shooting. 

VISITATIONS    OF    THE    CHOLERA 

When  General  Winfield  Scott  was  on  his  way  to  Chicago  in  1832  with  an  army 
of  United  States  regulars,  cholera  broke  out  among  the  soldiers  while  the  steamers 
in  which  they  were  being  transported  were  passing  the  Detroit  river.  This,  it  will 
be  remembered,  was  at  the  time  of  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  these  troops  were  sent 
forward  as  reinforcements  to  the  forces  then  operating  in  the  northern  part  of  Illi- 
nois. Four  steamers  had  been  chartered  at  Buffalo,  the  "Henry  Clay,"  under  com- 
mand of  Captain  Walter  Norton;  the  "William  Penn,"  under  command  of  Captain 
John  F.  Wight;  the  "Sheldon  Thompson,"  under  command  of  Captain  Augustus 
Walker;  and  the  "Superior,"  under  command  of  Captain  William  T.  Pease.  They 
were  comparatively  small  boats,  averaging  only  about  two  hundred  tons  each  in 
capacity.  The  steamers  received  $5,500  each  for  their  services.  Only  one  of  these 
boats,  however,  reached  its  destination  owing  to  the  outbreak  of  the  cholera. 

Two  of  these  steamers,  the  "Henry  Clay"  and  the  "Sheldon  Thompson,"  left 
Buffalo  on  the  2d  of  July,  1832,  the  others  following  a  few  days  later.  On 
its  arrival  at  Detroit  two  cases  of  cholera  occurred  on  board  of  the  "Henry 
Clay"  while  she  was  lying  at  the  dock.  "This  created  such  alarm,"  said  Captain 
Walker,  in  his  account  printed  in  the  publication  of  the  Buffalo  Historical  Society, 
for  the  year  1902,  "that  the  authorities  of  the  city  prevailed  upon  the  captain  to 
leave  the  dock.  On  my  arrival  [a  few  hours  later],  I  found  she  was  lying  at  anchor 
near  the  foot  of  Hog  Island,  some  two  miles  above  the  city.  Up  to  that  time  no 
signs  of  cholera  had  appeared  on  board  my  boat  [the  'Sheldon  Thompson'].  After 
remaining  a  short  time  at  the  wharf,  taking  on  board  fuel,  stores,  etc.,  for  the  trip, 
we  got  under  way  and  went  alongside  of  the  'Henry  Clay.'  At  this  time  General 
Scott,  who  was  in  command  of  this  expedition,  came  on  board  my  boat,  accompanied 
by  his  staff  and  a  number  of  volunteer  officers  and  cadets,  numbering  some  forty, 
who  had  been  passengers  thus  far  on  board  the  'Henry  Clay.'  One  company  of 
some  fifty  soldiers,  under  command  of  Colonel  Twiggs,  also  came  on  board  from  the 
Clay. 

"Leaving  her  at  anchor  we  sailed,  touching  at  Fort  Gratiot,  where  we  landed 
the  same  fifty  soldiers  and  their  baggage,  which  had  entirely  overloaded  our  little 
steamer;  and  we  then  proceeded  on  the  voyage.  The  next  day  the  Clay  arrived  in 
the  St.  Clair  River.  The  disease  had  become  so  violent  and  alarming  on  board  of 
her  that  nothing  like  discipline  could  be  observed.  Everything  in  the  way  of  sub- 
ordination ceased.  As  soon  as  she  came  to  the  dock,  each  man  sprang  on  shore, 
hoping  to  escape  from  a  scene  so  terrifying  and  appalling;  some  fled  to  the  fields, 
some  to  the  woods,  while  others  lay  down  in  the  streets  and  under  the  shelter  of 
the  river  banks,  where  most  of  them  died,  unwept  and  alone." 


342  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

ARRIVAL   IN    CHICAGO 

The  voyage  of  the  "Henry  Clay"  having  thus  reached  its  termination  it  remains 
to  follow  the  "Sheldon  Thompson,"  the  only  one  of  the  transports  which  arrived 
at  its  destination.  It  had  been  hoped  that  this  steamer  might  reach  Chicago  without 
any  cases  of  the  disease  developing  on  board.  But  at  Mackinac  Island  two  members 
of  the  ship's  crew  were  found  to  be  sick  and  were  left  ashore.  At  the  Manitous 
three  more  were  left.  Some  thirty  hours  before  reaching  Chicago  the  first  death 
from  cholera  occurred,  and  as  soon  as  life  was  extinct  the  body  was  wrapped  in  a 
blanket  and  committed  to  the  deep.  Even  in  the  short  time  remaining  to  reach  port 
twelve  others  sickened  and  died,  and  their  bodies  were  thrown  overboard.  The 
steamer  reached  Chicago  on  the  10th  of  July,  and  anchored  in  the  open  lake  as  there 
was  not  sufficient  depth  of  water  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  to  admit  vessels  of  any 
considerable  size.  Many  settlers  had  gathered  at  the  fort  for  protection  and  had 
found  shelter  in  the  huts  and  cabins  surrounding  its  walls.  The  arrival  of  soldiers, 
many  of  them  already  sick,  spread  consternation  among  the  settlers  and  the  garrison. 
The  fort  was  converted  into  a  hospital  and  the  soldiers  encamped  in  tents  in  the 
vicinity.  The  fort  thus  abandoned  by  the  garrison  was  not  reoccupied  until  the 
first  of  October  following. 

Even  before  the  soldiers  had  left  the  steamer  three  more  victims  of  the  disease 
were  committed  to  the  lake,  the  water  being  so  clear  that  their  bodies  could  be  dis- 
tinctly seen  at  the  bottom.  This  uncanny  sight  so  worked  upon  the  superstitious 
fears  of  the  crew  that  it  was  necessary  for  the  captain  to  change  his  anchorage.  In 
the  course  of  the  day  and  night  following  eighteen  others  died  and  were  interred  at 
a  spot  not  far  from  the  lighthouse  which  then  stood  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river, 
near  Rush  street  bridge.  During  the  four  days  that  the  steamer  remained, at  Chi- 
cago fifty-four  more  died  making  an  aggregate  of  eighty-eight  deaths  from  cholera. 
All  were  buried  without  coffins  or  shrouds,  except  their  blankets  which  served  as 
their  winding  sheets,  and  were  left  without  sign  of  remembrance  or  a  stone  to  mark 
their  resting  place. 

The  ravages  of  the  disease  seemed  to  have  reached  a  climax  in  a  short  time  and 
thereafter  the  epidemic  gradually  grew  less  violent  until  a  few  weeks  later  it  had 
disappeared  entirely.  One  incident  of  that  time  of  fear  and  dismay  is  mentioned  in 
the  Autobiography  of  General  Scott.  At  the  time  of  the  appearance  of  the  cholera 
three  Sacs  were  confined  in  the  military  prison  at  Fort  Armstrong  (Rock  Island)  on 
a  charge  of  complicity  in  the  murder  of  the  Menominees  near  Prairie  du  Chien  the 
year  before.  When  the  epidemic  had  reached  that  point,  to  which  General  Scott 
had  transferred  his  activities,  he  set  these  two  Indians  at  liberty,  taking  their  prom- 
ise to  return  upon  the  display  of  a  certain  signal  to  be  hung  from  a  tree  at  an  ele- 
vated point  of  the  island  when  the  epidemic  should  be  over.  The  signal  was  in  due 
time  hung  up,  and  true  to  their  promise  the  Indians  reported  themselves.  They 
were  again  paroled,  however,  and  subsequently  released  altogether. 

THE    CHOLERA   VISITATION    OF    1849 

Chicago  was  again  visited  by  cholera  during  the  spring  of  1849,  and  for  several 
years  thereafter  in  succession.  Hearing  of  its  prevalence  in  other  cities  strenuous 
efforts  were  made  by  the  health  authorities  to  prevent  its  appearance,  but  a  man 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  343 

arriving  by  way  of  the  new  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal  from  New  Orleans  brought 
the  disease  with  him.  His  death  was  followed  by  a  general  epidemic  of  the  cholera 
throughout  the  city,  and  during  the  ensuing  summer  and  fall  there  were  six  hundred 
and  seventy-eight  deaths  from  that  cause.  The  proportion  of  fatalities  was  one  in 
three  of  those  attacked.  Among  the  prominent  citizens  of  Chicago  who  fell  victims 
to  the  disease  in  1849  were,  Hon.  Henry  Brown,  the  author  of  a  history  of  Illinois 
published  in  1844;  Rev.  W.  H.  Rice;  Henry  B.  Clarke;  L.  M.  Boyce;  Dr.  J.  E. 
O'Leary;  James  Knox;  M.  Kohn;  W.  N.  Bentley;  Samuel  Jackson;  Newell  Strat- 
ton;  A.  J.  Penny;  E.  Hitchcock;  A.  Calhoun;  A.  S.  Robinson;  and  George  Ayers. 

A  resident  of  Chicago  at  that  time  wrote  an  account  of  some  of  the  cases  with 
which  he  was  acquainted.  One  case  was  as  follows:  "There  was  at  that  time  an 
Englishman  named  Morrell,  a  blacksmith,  who  was  just  from  England  and  but  re- 
cently married,  who  was  working  for  me.  One  Saturday  night  he  came  to  me  and 
said  he  wanted  all  the  money  that  was  due  him,  and  that  he  would  not  be  at  work 
till  the  following  Tuesday,  as  he  had  bought  a  lot  from  Mr.  Elston,  and  he  wanted 
on  Monday  to  get  lumber  on  the  ground,  and  set  carpenters  at  work  on  a  little  house 
which  he  had  determined  to  build.  Late  Saturday  night  I  saw  him  on  his  way  home, 
appearing  unusually  cheerful.  On  Sunday  morning  following  I  went  over  into  town 
on  the  South  Side,  and  did  not  return  till  after  evening  church  service,  when  I  was 
met  with  the  information  that  Morrell  was  dead  and  buried.  I  was  thunderstruck. 
Mrs.  Morrell  came  to  me  in  the  morning  to  say  that  Mr.  Elston  had  returned  the 
money  which  had  been  paid  on  the  lot,  and  that  she  was  going  back  to  her  old  home 
in  England;  and  before  night  of  that  Monday  she  was  on  her  sad  and  lonely  jour- 
ney thither. 

"Another  Englishman  named  Conn,  a  boiler-maker,  was  also  at  work,  and  with 
him  was  a  boy  of  fourteen,  who  was  at  work  also,  as  Conn  was  very  desirous  of  keep- 
ing the  boy  with  him.  The  boy  was  attacked  with  cholera.  We  ministered  to  him, 
and  chafed  his  limbs  to  promote  circulation  for  two  or  three  hours.  When  we  found 
that  all  our  efforts  were  in  vain,  Conn  quietly  arose  from  working  over  him,  and  be- 
gan silently  to  pace  the  floor,  occasionally  stopping  to  look  down  on  the  dying  boy. 
.  .  .  'Here,'  said  he,  'I  have  brought  the  boy  from  his  home,  and  I  promised  his 
mother  that  I  would  return  him  safely  to  her.  And  now,  in  this  far-away  country, 
the  boy  is  dying.  What  am  I  going  to  say  to  his  mother?'  " 

A  few  physicians,  and,  as  usual  in  such  times  of  calamity,  some  Catholic  priests 
and  Sisters  of  Charity  remained  to  care  for  those  who  would  otherwise  have  been 
obliged  to  seek  the  rude  and  hastily  built  shelters  provided  by  the  authorities.  The 
cholera  scourge  forced  the  conviction  upon  the  public  mind  that  a  permanent  city 
hospital  should  be  provided,  which  eventually  took  practical  form,  and  under  the 
charge  of  Dr.  Brock  McVickar,  the  city  physician,  a  hospital  building  costing  $45,- 
000  was  erected  in  1857  on  La  Salle  Street,  between  Cross  and  Old  Streets,  the  two 
streets  now  known  as  Eighteenth  and  Sixteenth  Streets  respectively. 

LATER    VISITATIONS 

The  disease  appeared  again  in  July,  1850,  though  not  so  severe  as  in  the  previous 
year,  the  number  of  deaths  reaching  an  aggregate  of  four  hundred  and  twenty.  Dur- 
ing the  year  following,  that  is  in  1851,  there  were  still  fewer  cases  of  cholera,  and 


344  CHICAGO:    ITS   HISTORY   AND   ITS   BUILDERS 

the  epidemic  was  not  severe  enough  to  cause  much  alarm.  In  1852  there  were  six 
hundred  and  thirty  deaths  from  cholera,  which  was  three  times  greater  than  the 
previous  year.  The  next  year  the  number  of  deaths  from  this  cause  was  only  one 
hundred  and  thirteen. 

In  the  year  1854  the  disease  broke  out  again  with  great  fury  and  virulence,  and 
deaths  from  cholera  were  very  numerous.  Until  about  the  5th  of  July  the  disease 
was  generally  confined  to  newly  arrived  immigrants.  Quarantine  arrangements  were 
made,  but  nothing  could  check  the  ravages  of  the  pestilence.  During  July  there  were 
often  fifty  and  sixty  deaths  in  a  single  day.  Many  people  left  the  city  and  sought 
refuge  in  the  country  districts.  A  voluntary  board  of  health  was  formed  by  Dr. 
Charles  V.  Dyer  and  others,  and  a  warehouse  was  hired  to  be  used  as  a  hospital. 
Dr.  Dyer  related  an  incident  which  illustrated  the  futility  of  the  ordinary  measures 
taken  in  the  treatment  of  cholera  cases.  "Hearing  that  a  steamboat  was  coming 
into  port  with  eighteen  cases  of  cholera  on  board,"  said  the  doctor  not  without  a 
touch  of  humor,  "we  went  aboard  the  vessel  and  removed  the  patients  to  the  im- 
provised hospital.  On  viewing  the  sick  nine  were  decided  to  be  beyond  medical 
assistance,  and  the  remaining  moiety  were  decreed  to  be  favorable  subjects  for  path- 
ological skill.  But,  unfortunately,  the  nine  upon  whom  were  lavished  all  the  re- 
sources of  science  died,  and  those  who  were  esteemed  to  be  almost  in  articulo  mortis 
all  got  well."  The  deaths  from  cholera  in  this  year  were  fourteen  hundred  and 
twenty-four.  The  year  1855  was  the  last  of  the  seven-year-long  epidemic  of  chol- 
era, during  which  the  disease  had  been  a  regular  visitant  each  year;  eleven  years 
later,  however,  it  returned  again  with  a  fury  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the  "great  chol- 
era year"  of  1854. 

THE    VISITATION    OF    1866 

The  first  case  of  cholera  in  1866  was  reported  on  July  21st,  but  there  was  no 
alarm  until  early  in  the  following  month,  when  the  cases  began  to  be  numerous. 
By  the  end  of  August  one  hundred  and  fifty-six  deaths  from  the  disease  had  oc- 
curred, and  during  September  the  number  was  somewhat  increased.  In  October 
the  number  of  deaths  from  this  cause  rose  to  nearly  seven  hundred,  but  in  Novem- 
ber the  number  rapidly  diminished.  The  total  number  of  deaths  from  cholera 
during  1866  was  ten  hundred  and  sixty-two. 

The  citizens  of  Chicago  were  now  thoroughly  resolved  to  organize  a  system  of 
prevention  so  that  no  future  epidemic  of  the  kind  could  gain  a  foothold  in  the  city. 
The  Common  Council  had  strangely  enough  abolished  the  Health  Department  in 
1860,  and  now  a  strong  movement  was  inaugurated  to  establish  an  efficient  Board 
of  Health  with  adequate  powers  and  authority.  An  act  was  passed  by  the  state 
legislature  in  cooperation  with  the  Common  Council  of  Chicago,  and  in  March, 
1867,  under  its  provisions,  a  board  was  appointed  consisting  of  the  following  mem- 
bers: Dr.  Hosmer  A.  Johnson,  Dr.  John  H.  Rauch,  Dr.  William  Wagner,  Samuel 
Hoard,  A.  B.  Reynolds,  William  Giles,  and  Mayor  John  B.  Rice,  ex  officio.  Dur- 
ing the  year  the  cholera  again  appeared,  but  owing  to  the  measures  adopted  by  the 
Board  of  Health  there  were  but  ten  fatalities.  Since  that  year  no  epidemic  of 
cholera  has  visited  Chicago. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  345 

CHARLES    B.    FARWELL 

Charles  B.  Farwell's  residence  in  Chicago  began  in  January,  1844,  when  he 
arrived  from  Ogle  County  in  Illinois,  where  his  father  was  engaged  as  a  farmer. 
He  was  born  in  New  York  State  on  July  1st,  1823,  and  obtained  his  education  at 
the  Elmira  Academy  in  his  native  state.  From  1849  to  1853  Mr.  Farwell  was  a 
clerk  in  the  banking  house  of  George  Smith,  who  afterwards  became  a  multi-mil- 
lionaire, and  in  1864  he  became  a  partner  in  his  younger  brother's  wholesale  dry 
goods  firm.  Mr.  Farwell  became  active  in  politics,  and  in  1870  was  elected  a 
member  of  Congress,  serving  thereafter  three  terms.  In  1887  he  was  elected  United 
States  Senator  to  fill  the  remainder  of  the  term  of  John  A.  Logan,  who  had  died 
the  previous  year,  thus  serving  four  years  in  the  Senate.  He  continued  his  con- 
nection with  the  house  of  John  V.  Farwell  &  Co.  until  his  death  on  September  23d, 
1903. 

JOHN    V.    FARWELL 

In  the  spring  of  1845  John  V.  Farwell  came  to  Chicago.  He  was  born  in  New 
York  State,  July  29th,  1825.  In  1838  the  family  of  which  he  was  a  member  set- 
tled in  Ogle  County,  Illinois,  and  he  obtained  his  education  at  the  Mt.  Morris  Sem- 
inary. When  he  came  to  Chicago  he  "worked  his  passage  on  a  load  of  wheat,"  and 
when  he  arrived  in  the  city  he  had  three  dollars  and  seventy-five  cents  in  his 
pocket.  He  found  employment  with  the  dry  goods  firm  of  Hamilton  &  White. 
Afterwards  he  engaged  with  Wadsworth  &  Phelps  in  the  same  line  of  business, 
and,  in  1850,  he  became  a  partner  in  the  firm.  In  1857  his  name  appeared  in  the 
firm  of  Cooley,  Farwell  &  Co.,  successors  of  Cooley,  Wadsworth  &  Co.;  and  in 
1860  the  firm  name  became  Farwell,  Field  &  Co.  In  1865  the  name  of  the  firm 
became  John  V.  Farwell  &  Co.,  which  is  its  incorporated  name  at  the  present  time. 

Mr.  Farwell  was  always  interested  in  religious  movements.  He  was  a  liberal 
patron  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and  to  him  the  Association  in  a 
large  measure  owes  its  early  prosperity.  He  was  a  friend  and  a  coworker  with 
Dwight  L.  Moody  in  the  early  days  of  Mr.  Moody's  career.  Mr.  Farwell  died  on 
the  20th  of  August,  1908,  at  his  home  in  Lake  Forest. 

A    UNIQUE    REAL    ESTATE    ENTERPRISE 

An  undertaking  of  a  unique  character  was  engaged  in  by  the  brothers,  Charles 
B.  and  John  V.  Farwell,  in  1883,  which,  although  it  was  a  gigantic  transaction  in 
Texas  lands,  was  distinctly  a  Chicago  enterprise,  and  is  entitled  to  a  place  in  this 
history.  The  state  of  Texas  was  the  possessor  of  a  vast  tract  of  territory  in  the 
"Panhandle,"  which  in  the  old  geographies  was  described  as  the  "Llano  Estacado," 
or  "Staked  Plains."  The  lands  thus  designated  on  the  maps  of  that  period  were 
considered  of  little  value  except  for  grazing  purposes,  where  herds  of  long- 
horned  cattle  formed  the  chief  product  of  the  country. 

"If  we  can  get  the  man  with  the  money  to  build  our  Capitol,"  it  was  said, 
"we  will  give  him  all  the  lands  he  wants  up  there,"  meaning  the  lands  in  the 
Panhandle.  The  man  was  found  in  John  V.  Farwell,  one  of  Chicago's  leading 
business  men,  who  made  the  state  of  Texas  a  proposition  to  the  effect  that  he 
would  erect  a  Capitol  building  at  Austin,  the  capital  city  of  the  state,  and  take  in 


346  CHICAGO:    ITS   HISTORY   AND    ITS   BUILDERS 

payment  the  lands  in  the  Upper  Panhandle,  a  proposition  which  the  state  gladly  ac- 
cepted. The  land  thus  acquired  by  the  Farwells,  Charles  B.  Farwell  having 
joined  with  his  brother  John  V.  Farwell  in  the  enterprise,  amounted  to  3,500,000 
acres,  located  in  six  counties.  This  was  equivalent  to  an  area  larger  than  the 
state  of  Connecticut,  and  was  appraised  at  an  average  of  one  dollar  an  acre,  at 
that  time  considered  a  liberal  valuation  for  the  lands. 

The  Farwells  entered  into  the  contract,  and  the  building  was  erected  to  the 
entire  satisfaction  of  the  state  authorities,  a  building  that  was  considered  a  fair 
equivalent  to  an  outlay  of  five  millions  of  dollars.  The  Capitol  building  at  Aus- 
tin, it  is  said,  is  the  seventh  largest  building  in  the  world,  the  third  largest  in  the 
United  States,  and  one  of  striking  architectural  beauty.  It  was  honestly  built 
and  stands  as  a  monument  to  the  integrity  as  well  as  the  shrewdness  of  the  men 
who  erected  it,  and  no  criticisms  have  ever  been  made  in  regard  to  it. 

The  proprietors  of  the  lands  thus  acquired  have  profited  by  this  transaction 
"beyond  the  dreams  of  avarice."  Lands  in  the  Panhandle  began  to  be  sought 
for  and  the  prices  rose  by  degrees,  though  land  was  always  for  sale  at  a  fair 
market  value.  The  extensive  tracts  over  which  great  herds  of  cattle  formerly 
ranged  were  reduced  in  size  and  more  limited  areas  were  made  use  of  to  better 
purpose  in  the  care  of  improved  stock,  and  later  still  large  sections  of  the  lands 
were  divided  into  farms  which  have  since  become  highly  productive. 

Towns  sprang  up  in  numerous  places,  railroads  were  built  to  make  an  outlet 
for  the  products  of  the  lands,  and  to-day,  although  more  than  two-thirds  of  the 
entire  territory  thus  acquired  by  the  Farwells  has  been  disposed  of  at  steadily 
rising  prices  there  is  still  left  a  million  or  more  acres,  none  of  which  can  be  ob- 
tained at  less  than  fifteen  dollars  per  acre. 

People  called  the  Farwells  "visionary"  when  they  closed  the  bargain  for  these 
lands  and  entered  upon  the  construction  of  the  great  building  that  the  state  of 
Texas  received  in  payment  for  them.  "The  building  and  completion  of  the  State 
Capitol,"  says  C.  F.  Drake,  writing  in  the  Manufacturers'  Record,  "was  in  itself 
an  undertaking  from  which  most  men,  even  of  Mr.  Farwell's  wealth,  would  have 
shrunk,  taking  the  chances  to  recover  his  money;  and  it  is  doubtless  true  that  he 
never  realized  to  what  great  figures  his  profits  would  run.  It  was  the  largest, 
perhaps  the  most  unique  real-estate  deal  ever  consummated  in  the  history  of  the 
United  States,  by  which  one  man  acquired  title  to  so  vast  an  area,  and  drawing  so 
largely  upon  his  imagination,  took  such  immense  speculative  chances  for  financial 
returns." 

To-day  there  stand  a  large  number  of  towns  and  cities  on  this  extensive  tract, 
some  of  them  having  a  population  of  ten  or  fifteen  thousand  inhabitants;  there 
are  four  railroad  lines  crossing  it,  which  give  transportation  facilities  to  the  pro- 
ducts of  the  farms  and  cattle  ranches  of  the  territory  within  the  original  tract. 

MARSHALL    FIELD 

The  career  of  Marshall  Field  is  typical  of  that  of  many  others  among  the 
leading  merchants  of  Chicago.  Marshall  Field  came  to  this  city  in  1856,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one,  and  immediately  found  employment  in  the  wholesale  dry  goods 
house  of  Cooley,  Wadsworth  &  Co.,  then  located  on  South  Water  street.  The 


MARSHALL   FIELD 

Resilient  of  Chicago  since  1850,  and 
later  a  leading  merchant  of  the  city. 
Until  his  death  in  1906  he  was  at  the 
head  of  Marshall  Field  and  Company. 


Original  owned  by  Chicago  Historical  Society 

JOIIX  V.  FARWELL 


FIELD   MUSEUM   OF   NATURAL   HISTORY 


CHICAGO:   ITS   HISTORY   AND   ITS   BUILDERS  347 

panic  of  1857  carried  down  a  great  number  of  the  business  houses  of  Chicago, 
but  the  firm  of  Cooley,  Wadsworth  &  Co.  survived  the  shock,  though  it  was  soon 
after  reorganized  under  the  name  of  Cooley,  Farwell  &  Co.  In  this  firm  Field 
was  taken  in  as  a  junior  partner,  and  the  location  of  the  house  was  changed  to 
Wabash  avenue.  In  1860  Mr.  Cooley  retired  and  the  firm  name  was  changed  to 
Farwell,  Field  &  Co.,  Mr.  Levi  Z.  Leiter  being  also  admitted  as  a  partner.  In 
1865  Field  and  Leiter  retired  from  the  firm  of  Farwell,  Field  &  Co.,  the  latter 
firm  then  becoming  known  as  John  V.  Farwell  &  Co.  Field  and  Leiter  then  bought 
an  interest  in  the  dry  goods  business  of  Potter  Palmer,  which  had  been  estab- 
lished in  1852,  the  firm  style  becoming  Field,  Palmer  &  Leiter,  and  the  location 
of  their  store  being  at  110  and  112  Lake  street.  Two  years  later,  namely  in 
January,  1867,  Mr.  Palmer  retired  and  the  firm  then  became  Field,  Leiter  &  Co. 
In  the  fall  of  1868  the  firm  removed  from  Lake  street  to  the  north-east  corner 
of  State  and  Washington'  streets  where  it  remained  until  the  fire  of  1871. 

Before  the  ruins  of  their  establishment  had  had  time  to  cool  a  place  was 
found  at  the  corner  of  State  and  Twentieth  streets,  in  an  old  car  barn,  where 
business  was  resumed  as  soon  as  stocks  could  be  procured  from  the  East.  The 
promptness  with  wliich  the  firm  reestablished  themselves  after  the  tire  greatly 
strengthened  the  courage  of  the  merchants  of  Chicago,  by  whom  they  were  recog- 
nized as  leaders.  A  new  building  was  begun  on  the  old  site,  and  in  eighteen 
months  it  was  completed  and  occupied.  A  year  or  two  later  another  building  ex- 
clusively for  wholesale  purposes  was  erected  by  the  firm,  at  the  northeast  corner 
of  Madison  and  Market  streets,  but  the  business  grew  so  fast  that  further  build- 
ing operations  were  found  necessary.  The  site  chosen  for  the  new  structure  was 
on  Adams  street  between  Fifth  avenue  and  Franklin  street.  The  building  here 
erected  was  after  a  design  by  Richardson,  the  famous  Boston  architect  and  is 
in  use  at  the  present  time.  Mr.  Leiter  retired  from  the  firm  in  1881,  since  which 
time  it  has  been  known  as  Marshall  Field  &  Co. 

Marshall  Field  was  a  native  of  Conway,  Massachusetts,  where  he  was  born  on  his 
father's  farm,  August  18th,  1835.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  his  father  procured  a 
place  for  him  in  a  country  store  in  Pittsfield.  His  employer,  Deacon  Davis,  did  not 
form  a  favorable  opinion  of  the  youth,  and  on  one  occasion,  when  the  elder  Field 
came  into  the  store  and  asked  how  his  son  Marshall  was  getting  along,  he  told  him 
quite  candidly  that  while  the  boy  was  steady  and  all  right,  "he  would  never  make 
a  merchant  if  he  stayed  here  a  thousand  years,"  that  "he  wasn't  cut  out  for  a  mer- 
chant," and  ended  by  advising  the  father  to  take  the  lad  back  to  the  farm  and 
"teach  him  how  to  milk  cows." 

The  father  of  Marshall  Field  was  John  Field,  a  Yankee  farmer  descended  from 
a  long  line  of  farmers.  Marshall  was  the  third  child  in  a  family  of  nine  children. 
Two  of  his  brothers,  Joseph  Nash  Field  and  Henry  Field,  were  well  known  in  Chi- 
cago. Young  Marshall  was  sent  to  school  and  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  farm  dur- 
ing his  boyhood.  It  was  in  consequence  of  his  father's  desire  to  place  his  boys  in 
a  position  to  earn  their  own  living  that  he  started  him  as  a  clerk  in  the  country 
store.  Notwithstanding  the  unfavorable  opinion  entertained  by  his  employer  the 
young  man  remained  in  Pittsfield  four  years,  until  he  dropped  down  in  Chicago  just 
as  he  came  of  age. 

In  his  later  years  Marshall  Field  did  not  forget  his  native  town,  and  gave  to  it 


348  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

a  beautiful  memorial  library,  constructed  and  endowed  at  an  outlay  of  over  $200,- 
000.  He  also  gave  a  large  amount  of  land  adjoining  the  University  of  Chicago  to 
that  institution  for  an  athletic  field,  which  has  been  named  "Marshall  Field,"  the 
donor's  name  exactly  answering  the  purpose  for  its  designation.  His  chief  and 
most  enduring  monument  is  probably  the  "Field  Museum  of  Natural  History,"  for 
which  he  has  so  handsomely  provided. 

Speaking  in  general  of  any  large  and  successful  business  enterprise  it  may  be 
said  that  the  part  that  any  one  individual  plays  is  something  that  defies  the  analysis 
of  the  historian.  "A  business  organization,"  says  a  writer,  "is  a  great  and  compli- 
cated machine,  in  which  different  elements  work  together  for  a  common  end.  The 
activities  are  so  interdependent  that  they  cannot  be  adequately  considered  apart. 
Neither  can  there  be  drawn  a  distinct  line  between  the  work  of  owners,  managers, 
superintendents,  or  individual  workers  all  down  the  line.  The  ideas,  energies,  and 
personal  efforts  of  all  of  them  combine  in  wonderful  complexity  to  make  up  the 
composite  personality  and  vitality  of  the  business.  History  has  never  dealt,  in  the 
most  satisfactory  manner,  with  all  those  whose  achievements  go  to  make  up  history. 
It  can  at  best  point  out  only  the  more  conspicuous  figures,  speak  of  the  work  that 
has  been  jointly  accomplished,  and  refer  to  the  monuments  which  symbolize  rather 
than  express  the  things  that  have  been  done." 

A  paragraph  appeared  in  the  papers  some  years  ago  in  which  was  reported  a  re- 
mark made  by  Marshall  Field  to  a  friend  regarding  his  financial  ventures,  the  sub- 
stance of  which  was,  that  he  always  tried  to  be  right  fifty-one  per  cent  of  the  time; 
that  the  man  who  makes  the  claim  that  he  is  right  all  the  time  will  find  himself  left 
behind  in  the  long  run  by  the  man  who  is  right  fifty-one  per  cent  of  the  time. 

This  recalls  the  well  known  saying  of  Mr.  Roosevelt's ;  "The  only  man  who  never 
makes  a  mistake  is  the  man  who  never  does  anything." 

Mr.  Field  was  little  inclined  to  talk  about  his  affairs,  and  preferred  to  maintain 
a  discreet  silence  in  everything  regarding  himself.  He  was  averse  to  any  appearance 
in  public,  personally  or  through  the  press,  confining  himself  to  the  usual  channels 
of  business  advertising.  The  public  have  naturally  always  taken  a  deep  interest 
in  his  personality,  but  his  well  known  diffidence  and  reserve  was  seldom  penetrated. 
On  one  occasion,  however,  he  was  moved  to  write  a  letter  in  answer  to  the  request 
of  a  clergyman,  who  had  written  him  asking  his  views  on  what  he  regarded  as  the 
essential  elements  of  true  success.  He  wrote  as  follows :  "Replying  to  your  favor 
of  November  20th,  [1893],  would  say  that  I  regard  honesty,  truthfulness,  temper- 
ance, thrift,  purity  of  character,  faithfulness,  perseverance,  and  thoroughness  in 
whatever  a  person  undertakes  as  the  most  essential  elements  of  true  success. 

"It  is  too  often  the  case  in  the  present  day  that  boys  starting  out  in  life  rely  too 
much  on  what  they  call  chance  to  bring  them  success,  and  the  haste  to  become  rich 
by  whatever  method  is  becoming  so  prevalent  that  too  much  emphasis  cannot  be 
placed  upon  the  importance  of  their  starting  in  life  with  the  one  idea  of  winning 
success  through  patient  and  earnest  endeavor  to  discharge  faithfully  and  honestly 
every  duty  that  may  devolve  upon  them,  be  it  ever  so  small.  It  is  too  often  the 
custom  to  do  little  things  in  a  careless  manner  because  they  are  little,  and  that,  as  a 
rule,  determines  the  character  of  the  person  doing  it.  If  a  matter  is  worth  doing 
at  all  it  is  worth  doing  well,  and  by  this  I  mean  that  they  should  be  thorough  in 
everything. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  349 

"The  element  of  thrift  is  sadly  neglected  by  young  men  of  the  present  day,  and 
the  tendency  to  live  beyond  their  income  brings  disaster  to  thousands  continually. 
A  young  man  should  cultivate  the  habit  of  always  saving  something,  however  small 
the  income ;  be  particular  in  his  choice  of  friends ;  have  the  courage  to  say  no  and 
mean  it,  when  tempted  to  do  what  he  knows  to  be  wrong;  aim  to  earn  a  character 
for  candor,  veracity,  and  strict  integrity  that  will  win  the  respect  and  confidence  of 
all  with  whom  he  may  have  any  dealings. 

"Any  young  man  in  this  country  who  carries  out  the  foregoing  ideas  cannot  fail, 
in  my  opinion,  of  attaining  success  to  a  greater  or  less  degree,  if  possessed  of  good 
health,  and  while  he  may  not  become  rich  he  is,  I  believe,  reasonably  certain  of 
gaining  a  comfortable  livelihood. 

"I  will  close  by  giving  an  extract  from  an  article  recently  published  in  the  Bal- 
timore American  touching  upon  this  subject,  and  which  I  heartily  endorse:  'It  is 
simply  the  question  of  the  man  himself.  In  this  country  he  has  the  opportunity.  If 
he  uses  it  well,  if  he  employs  his  purpose  to  high  ends,  if  he  determines  that  each 
day  shall  be  to  him  an  increase  in  knowledge  or  means,  and  that  he  will  work  hon- 
orably for  success  in  life,  he  will  succeed.  There  is  no  limit  to  the  possibilities  of 
honest  sustained  effort  in  a  good  cause.'  " 

On  January  16,  1906,  Marshall  Field  died.  He  had  become  the  greatest  dry 
goods  merchant  in  the  world,  one  of  the  richest  men  in  the  world,  and  seemed  still 
in  the  prime  of  his  life,  though  in  his  seventy-first  year. 

After  his  death  the  estate  of  Marshall  Field  was  found  to  be  the  largest  of  any 
other  resident  of  Chicago.  Such  of  his  property  as  was  scheduled  in  this  state 
amounted  to  upwards  of  seventy-nine  millions  of  dollars.  As  he  possessed  a  large 
amount  of  property  in  New  York  his  total  wealth  has  been  estimated  to  be  consid- 
jerably  in  excess  of  one  hundred  millions  of  dollars.  The  inheritance  tax  paid  into 
the  state  treasury  of  Illinois  by  the  Field  estate,  with  that  of  other  estates,  is  men- 
tioned elsewhere  in  this  work. 

THE   PROVISION    FOR   THE   MUSEUM    BY   MARSHALL   FIELD 

The  will  of  Marshall  Field  is  dated  September  5th,  1905.  The  provisions  for 
the  Museum  occupy  the  whole  of  Section  Seventeen  in  that  document.  In  its  printed 
form  the  will  covers  sixty-two  pages,  comprising  twenty-three  sections.  As  a  matter 
of  fact  the  main  body  of  the  will  was  executed  on  the  25th  day  of  February,  1904, 
and  a  "First  Codicil"  was  added  June  14th  of  the  same  year.  This  codicil,  however, 
did  not  change  or  modify  the  provision  for  the  Museum,  which  indeed  was  not  men- 
tioned in  it.  A  further  and  final  addition  to  the  will  was  made  on  the  5th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1905,  making  a  provision  for  Mr.  Field's  second  wife,  to  whom  he  had  been 
married  subsequent  to  the  making  of  the  will  on  February  25th,  1904.  It  may  also 
be  mentioned  that  the  official  name  of  the  Museum  at  that  time  was  the  "Field  Col- 
umbian Museum."  This  name  was  changed  in  November,  1905,  to  the  "Field  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History." 

The  section  making  provision  for  the  Museum  is  as  follows:  "Seventeenth.  Sub- 
ject to  the  condition  hereinafter  expressed,  I  give,  devise  and  bequeath  to  the  Field 
Columbian  Museum,  a  corporation  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  Eight  Million  (8,000,000) 
Dollars  to  be  held  and  applied  by  the  Trustees  thereof  for  the  uses  and  purposes 
of  that  institution,  as  hereinafter  provided  ;  but  any  sums  of  money  that  I  may  here- 


350 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 


after  m  my  hfetime,  but  subsequent  to  the  date  of  the  execution  of  this  instrument 

g.ve  to  the  Trustees  of  said  corporation  or  pay  for  the  use  and  on  account  of  said 

corporation,  shall  be  taken  and  deemed  by  my  Executors  as  advancements  on  account 

his  bequest,  and  the  amount  of  this  bequest  shall  be  paid  by  my  Executors  to 

trustees  of  said  Museum  lessened  and  reduced  by  the  amount  of  each  and  all  of 

such  advancements:     Each  advancement  shall  be  charged  up  against  the  particular 

nd,  that  is,  endowment  fund  or  building  fund,  to  which  it  may  have  been  made. 

"It  is  my  will  and  I  direct  that  the  lands,  tenements  and  hereditaments  hemn- 
tfter  described  and  devised  to  said  Field  Columbian  Museum  shall  be  taken  and 
toned  as  a  part  of  said  devise  and  bequest  to  the  amount  and  valuation  of  Three 
Hion,  Two  Hundred  Thousand  (3,200,000)  Dollars.     To  that  end  and  as  a  part 
f  said  devise  and  bequest  I  hereby  give,  devise  and  bequeath  to  said  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum  all  and  singular  the  lands,  tenements  and  hereditaments  situated  in 
Chicago  known  and  described  as  follows:     [Here  follows  the  legal  de- 
:npt,on  of  the  property  at  the  southeast  corner  of  State  and  Madison  streets,  in 
,ity  of  Gh.cago,  consisting  of  a  number  of  lots  with  the  improvements  thereon] 
I  give,  devise  and  bequeath  to  said  Field  Columbian  Museum  with  the  lands    tene- 
ments and  hereditaments  aforesaid,  the  said  several  leases  and  all  of  my  interests 
erem  and  ,n  the  covenants  therein  contained  and  in  the  rents  to  accrue  thereunder 
and  also  the  reversions  in  fee  in  the  lands  above  described.     It  is  my  will  that  all 
the  capital  of  this  portion  of  the  entire  devise  and  bequest,  and  the  further  sum  of 
Eight   Hundred   Thousand    (800,000)    Dollars,  or  so  much  of  said   further  sum   as 
ihall  be  received  from  my  estate  by  said  Trustees  of  the  Museum  after  any  advance- 
nent  hereafter  made  by  me  in  my  lifetime  shall  be  deducted  as  hereinbefore  pro- 
wled   shall  be  kept  intact  as  an  endowment  fund,  and  that  the  net  income  thereof 
be  applied  to  the  maintenance  and  extension  of  the  collections  of  the  Museum 
and  to  the  expenses  of  its  administration. 

"In  the  event  of  my  death  before  the  first  day  of  July,  1905,  upon  which  date    I 
a  net  annual  rental  of  One  Hundred  and  Twelve  Thousand  (112,000)  Dollars  will 
begin  to  accrue  under  the  lease  last  mentioned,  covering  the  entire  premises  above 
lescribed,  it  is  my  will  and  I  direct  that  my  Executors  shall  from  my  general  es- 
tate pay  over  in  convenient  installments  to  the  Trustees  of  said  Museum,"  such  amount 
as  shall  equal  the  difference  between  the  aggregate  rental  reserved  by  said  present 
leases  and  a  rental  at  the  rate  of  One  Hundred  and  Twelve  Thousand   (112,000) 
Dollars  per  annum,  for  the  period  from  the  date  of  my  death  until  said  first  dav  of 
uly,  1905,  which  amount,  in  such  event,  I  give  and  bequeath  to  the  Museum,  to  be 
received  and  applied  by  its  said  Trustees  as  income  from  said  endowment  fund      A 
:t  annual  income  of  One  Hundred  and  Twelve  Thousand   (112,000)   Dollars    to- 
r  with  the  further  income  to  be  expected  from  said  Eight  Hundred  Thousand 
00,00       Dollars  forming  a  part  of  the  entire  endowment  fund,  ought,  in  my  judg- 
ment, for  some  years  at  least,  to  be  sufficient  for  the  administration,  maintenance 
reasonable  extension  of  the  Museum,  but  if  the  net  income  from  the  entire  en- 
lowment  fund  shall  be  found  insufficient  for  said  purpose  in  any  year  by  said  Trust- 
es   then  said  Trustees  shall  be  authorized  in  their  discretion  to  use  in  that  year  for 
said  purpose  so  much  of  the  net  income  of  the  remaining  Four  Million  (1.000,000) 
Dollars,  hereinafter  mentioned,  as  they  shall  find  necessary  and  available." 


MARSHALL  FIELD  AND  JOHN  G.  SHEDD 
Taken  at  time  of  teamsters'  strike,  May,  1905 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  351 

THE    BUILDING    FUND 

"Out  of  the  said  devise  and  bequest  it  is  my  will  and  I  direct  that  the  sum 
or  fund  of  Four  Million  (4,000,000)  Dollars,  or  so  much  thereof  as  shall  be  re- 
ceived from  my  estate  by  said  Trustees  of  the  Museum  after  any  advancements 
hereafter  made  by  me  in  my  lifetime  shall  be  deducted  as  hereinafter  provided, 
shall  be  set  aside,  held  and  used  by  said  Trustees  so  far  as  practicable  as  a  build- 
ing fund  for  the  erection,  either  at  one  time  or  at  different  times  as  said  ' 
shall  think  best,  of  a  building  or  buildings  to  serve  as  a  permanent  home  for  the 
Museum.  Said  Trustees  shall  have  full  powers  of  management,  control,  invest- 
ment and  disposition  of  said  building  fund  according  to  the  charter  and  the  by- 
laws of  the  Museum,  except  as  herein  otherwise  expressly  provided,  and  they  may 
in  accordance  with  the  authorization  above  expressed  hold  and  use,  i 
discretion  they  shall  think  it  necessary  so  to  do,  a  portion  of  said  building  fund 
as  an  addition  to  the  above  mentioned  endowment  fund.  In  making  investments 
of  any  part  of  said  building  fund,  it  is  my  desire  that  said  Trustees  shall  have 
special  regard  to  the  security  of  the  capital,  and  that  preference  be  given  to 
mortgages  being  a  first  lien  upon  improved  and  income  yielding  freehold  real  es- 
tate in  the  City  of  Chicago. 

"It  is  my  purpose  and  desire,  in  making  the  aggregate  devise  and  bequest 
in  this  Article  of  my  Will  contained,  to  provide  the  said  Museum  with  a  build- 
ing or  buildings  suitable  and  adequate  for  its  permanent  home,  and  with  an  en- 
dowment fund  whose  net  income  shall  be  sufficient  for  its  proper  administration, 
maintenance  and  extension;  accordingly  I  direct  that  said  building  fund  shall 
not  be  so  exhausted  or  reduced  by  building  operations  at  any  time  as  to  prevent 
or  embarrass  the  accomplishment  of  my  said  purpose  and  desire  in  the  reason- 
ably near  future,  and  that  a  part  or  the  whole  of  the  net  annual  income  of  said 
building  fund  shall  in  the  discretion  of  said  Trustees  be  allowed  to  accumulate  for 
a  time,  and  be  added  to  the  capital,  or  to  the  unused  portion  of  the  capital,  as 
and  to  the  extent  judged  by  said  Trustees  to  be  necessary  for  the  ultimate  and  ef- 
fectual carrying  out  of  my  said  purpose  and  desire. 

"The  entire  devise  and  bequest  herein  made  is,  however,  upon  the  express 
condition  that  within  six  years  from  the  date  of  my  decease  there  shall  be  pro- 
vided for  said  Museum  and  shall  be  given  to  it  or  devoted  to  its  permanent  use, 
without  cost  to  it,  lands  and  premises,  which  shall  be  acceptable  and  satisfac- 
tory to  its  said  Trustees  as  a  location  and  site  for  the  building  or  buildings  to  be 
erected  as  its  permanent  home;  and  in  the  event  that  such  lands  and  premises  ac- 
ceptable and  satisfactory  to  its  said  Trustees  shall  not  be  given  to  it,  or  be  de- 
voted to  its  permanent  use  within  said  period,  and  without  cost  to  it,  then  the  en- 
tire capital  of  said  devise  and  bequest,  together  with  any  accumulated  and  un- 
expended income  thereon,  shall  upon  the  expiration  of  six  years  from  the  date  of 
my  decease,  revert  to  and  become  a  part  of  my  residuary  estate,  and  be  con- 
veyed, transferred  and  delivered  by  said  Trustees  of  the  Museum  to  my  residuary 
Trustees." 

Mr.  Field's  death  occurred  on  the  16th  of  January,  1906,  but  a  few  months 
after  the  date  of  his  will.  The  period  of  "six  years  from  the  date  of  my  de- 


352  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

cease,"  as  specified  in  the  will,  will  expire  therefore  on  the  16tK  day  of  January, 
1912. 

The  site  most  suitable  for  the  location  of  the  Museum  seemed  to  be  in  some 
portion  of  Grant  Park,  and  the  Park  Commissioners  gave  consent  for  such  a  loca- 
tion opposite  Congress  Street.  The  press  and  the  public  seemed  to  be  unanimous 
in  approval  of  thus  placing  the  proposed  building.  A  plan  of  the  structure  was 
prepared,  modeled  closely  upon  the  Art  Building  at  the  World's  Fair  which  had 
become  the  temporary  home  of  the  Museum  while  it  was  awaiting  the  final  settle- 
ment of  the  location. 

However,  it  was  necessary  before  placing  any  structures  in  Grant  Park  that  the 
consent  of  abutting  property  owners  should  be  obtained,  and  this  was  readily 
accomplished  except  in  the  case  of  one  property  owner,  Mr.  Montgomery  Ward, 
who  would  not  give  his  consent.  Condemnation  proceedings  were  instituted,  and, 
after  considerable  litigation,  the  question  finally  came  before  the  State  Supreme 
Court  which  decided  that  the  easement  of  the  property  owners  on  Michigan  Ave- 
nue could  not  be  condemned.  It  thus  became  necessary  to  look  for  another  location. 

In  these  circumstances  the  South  Park  Commissioners  set  apart  a  space  suffi- 
cient for  a  site  for  the  Museum  at  the  north  end  of  Jackson  Park,  though  it  was 
realized  that  this  site  was  too  far  away  from  the  greater  portion  of  the  city  to  be 
available  for  its  largest  use  by  the  people  in  general.  It  seemed  the  best  that 
could  be  done,  however,  as  the  space  required  for  a  site  was  not  to  be  obtained 
elsewhere  at  that  time. 

On  the  llth  of  December,  1911,  the  people  of  Chicago  were  surprised  and 
gratified  to  learn  that  through  an  arrangement  entered  into  between  the  South 
Park  Commissioners  and  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company,  a  site  for  the 
Museum  had  been  provided  at  a  spot  more  convenient  for  its  purposes  than  the  one 
in  Jackson  Park.  By  virtue  of  an  agreement  between  the  above  parties  the  public 
came  into  possession  of  the  lake  shore  from  Park  Row  to  Fifty-first  street,  and  the 
necessary  space  for  the  Museum  site  is  to  be  provided  at  the  foot  of  Twelfth  and 
Thirteenth  Streets  on  the  lake  shore.  This  involves  the  razing  of  the  present 
terminal  station  of  the  Illinois  Central,  a  new  terminal  on  Twelfth  Street  being 
planned  to  take  its  place. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

RIVER   AND    HARBOR   CONVENTION— NEWSPAPERS,   ETC. 

ECONOMIC    CONDITIONS    IN     1847 NEEDS    OF    THE     CHICAGO    HARBOR NATIONAL    CON- 
DITIONS  ENGINEERING    DIFFICULTIES COMMERCE    OP    CHICAGO    IN    THE    FORTIES 

FIRST    STEPS    IN    PROMOTING    THE     CONVENTION ENTHUSIASTIC     SUPPORT    GAINED 

PRESIDENT     POLKAS    ACTION     CONDEMNED EDITORIAL     VIEWS CONVENTION     DETAILS 

PLANNED THE     ADDRESS     TO     THE     PUBLIC ASSEMBLING     OF     THE      CONVENTION 

HORACE   GREELEY'S   SPIRITED   ACCOUNT — CONVENTION    IN    SESSION    THREE   DAYS- 
DEMANDS    FORMULATED DANIEL    WEBSTER'S     LETTER MR.     LINCOLN'S    FIRST    VISIT 

TO  CHICAGO — GREELEY'S  REFERENCE  TO  LINCOLN — RESULTS  OF  THE  CONVENTION 

FLOOD    OF     1849 ICE    AND    WRECKAGE    IN    THE    RIVER SCENES    OF    DESTRUCTION 

CONTEMPORARY      ACCOUNTS ALL      BRIDGES      SWEPT      AWAY BEGINNING      OF      THE 

CHICAGO    TRIBUNE THE    DEMOCRATIC    PRESS THE    PRESS   AND    TRIBUNE AN    OLDER 

PAPER    OF    THAT    NAME LATER    HISTORY    OF    THE    TRIBUNE STORY    OF    DAVID    KEN- 

NISON — LOSSING'S  ACCOUNT — MEMBER  OF  THE  BOSTON  "TEA  PARTY" — FOUGHT  AT 

BUNKER    HILL COMES    TO    CHICAGO    IN    1842,    THEN    OVER    A    HUNDRED    YEARS    OLO 

A    HERO    OF    THE    FIRST    AND   SECOND    WARS    OF    INDEPENDENCE. 

THE     RIVER     AND     HARBOR     CONVENTION 

HE  River  and  Harbor  Convention,"  says  William  Bross  in  his  "His- 
tory of  Chicago,"  "which  commenced  its  sessions  in  this  city  on  the 
5th  day  of  July,  1847,  gave  the  second  great  and  permanent  impulse 
to  Chicago,"  the  first  great  impulse  being  the  inauguration  of  work  on 
the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal  in  1886.  After  the  disastrous  specu- 
lating mania  of  1836  and  1837,  the  population  and  prosperity  of  Chicago  suffered 
a  marked  decline  until  1842,  when  the  lowest  point  was  reached,  and  business 
began  once  more  to  revive.  In  1847  the  business  of  Chicago  merchants  was  con- 
fined mainly  to  retail  trade.  "The  produce  that  was  shipped  from  this  port,"  says 
Bross,  "was  all  brought  to  the  city  by  teams;  some  of  them  would  come  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles.  Farmers  would  bring  in  a  load  of  grain  and  take  back  sup- 
plies for  themselves  and  their  neighbors.  .  .  .  During  the  business  sea- 
son the  city  would  be  crowded  with  teams.  We  have  seen  Water  and  Lake 
streets  almost  impassable  for  hours  together." 

When  the  River  and  Harbor  Convention  assembled  in  Chicago,  beneath  a 
spacious  awning  upon  the  Court  House  Square,  it  was  attended  by  delegates 
from  nineteen  states  and  by  a  large  number  of  the  prominent  and  able  men  of 
the  nation.  James  K.  Polk  was  then  president  of  the  United  States,  Augustus  C. 
French  was  governor  of  Illinois,  John  Wentworth  was  a  member  of  Congress 

Vol.    1—23 

353 


354  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

from  this  district,  and  James  Curtiss  was  mayor  of  Chicago.  The  proceedings 
of  the  convention  were  reported  by  Horace  Greeley  for  the  New  York  Tribune, 
and  by  Thurlow  Weed  for  the  Albany  Evening  Journal. 

NEEDS     OF     THE     CHICAGO     HARBOR 

The  origin  of  the  movement  which  resulted  in  the  calling  of  the  River  and 
Harbor  Convention  is  related  in  the  Fergus  Historical  Series,  Number  Eighteen, 
published  in  1882,  in  which  is  also  given  a  complete  account  of  its  proceedings 
and  a  list  of  the  delegates.  When,  after  years  of  waiting,  no  adequate  provision 
for  the  needs  of  the  Chicago  harbor  had  been  made  by  Congress,  the  people  of 
the  West  decided  on  a  course  of  action  by  which  the  attention  of  the  whole  coun- 
try should  be  drawn  to  the  needs  of  this,  the  most  important  port  on  the  Great 
Lakes.  In  the  year  1846,  President  Polk  had  not  approved  the  River  and  Har- 
bor bill  which  had  been  passed  by  Congress  in  its  closing  days,  and  thus  it  failed 
to  become  a  law.  Although  in  previous  years  considerable  work  had  been  done  on 
the  Chicago  harbor  by  the  government,  which  had  made  the  river  accessible  to  lake 
craft  for  some  distance  up  its  channel,  the  southern  sweep  of  the  lake  currents 
along  the  shore  had  gradually  choked  up  the  entrance  until  there  was  danger  of  an 
absolute  cessation  of  navigation  in  the  river,  and  a  reversion  to  the  primitive 
method  of  receiving  and  discharging  cargoes  by  means  of  lighters  from  vessels 
anchored  in  the  open  lake. 

The  Chicago  river  and  its  branches,  with  the  channel  between  the  piers  at 
its  mouth,  constitute  the  harbor  of  Chicago.  In  a  report  prepared  by  Jesse  B. 
Thomas,  in  1847,  he  gives  the  following  description  of  the  conditions  which  ex- 
isted at  that  time:  "The  main  portion  of  the  river  is  three- fourths  of  a  mile  in 
length,  sixty  yards  wide,  and  about  twenty  feet  deep.  The  North  and  South 
Branches,  which  unite  with  the  river  from  opposite  directions  in  the  heart  of  the 
city,  are  navigable,  the  former  three,  the  latter  five  miles.  The  streams  are, 
properly  speaking,  bayous,  having  very  little  or  no  current,  and  being  on  a  level 
with  the  waters  of  the  lake.  .  .  .  The  principal  difficulty  in  constructing 
harbors  on  the  western  shore  of  Lake  Michigan  proceeds  from  the  deposition  of 
sand  at  the  entrances  thereto.  A  strong  and  almost  constant  current  .  . 
passes  along  the  shore  of  the  lake,  from  the  north  towards  the  south,  carrying 
with  it  large  quantities  of  sand  which  it  deposits,  forming  bars  wherever  an  ob- 
stacle, in  the  shape  of  a  river,  or  piers,  or  any  object  of  sufficient  force  to  change, 
in  any  degree,  the  attraction  of  this  current,  is  met  with.  The  effect  of  this  is 
observable  in  all  the  streams  discharging  into  Lake  Michigan  on  the  west.  The 
current  along  the  shore  coming  in  contact  with  the  rivers  passing  out,  the  latter 
are  diverted  from  a  direct  passage,  and  take  a  new  direction  for  a  longer  or  shorter 
distance  along  the  shore,  until  the  influence  of  the  current  ceases  to  operate, 
when  they  discharge,  generally  in  a  southwestern  direction;  and  a  long  bar  or 
peninsula  of  sand,  beginning  at  the  diverging  point  and  terminating  at  the  new 
point  of  entrance,  is  invariably  formed  between  the  lake  and  the  river. 

"Such  was  the  Chicago  river  before  the  construction  of  the  piers.  It  dis- 
charged half  a  mile  below  the  present  harbor.  The  harbor  was  commenced  by 
cutting  through  this  bar,  and  forcing  the  river  straight  through  into  the  lake.  No 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  355 

sooner  was  the  north  pier  projected  into  the  lake  than  the  effect  of  the  current 
coming  in  contact  with  it  became  apparent.  It  deposited  sand  along  the  shore 
of  the  lake  north  of  the  pier,  extending  the  same  farther  and  farther  into  the  lake, 
and,  passing  around  the  end  of  the  pier,  formed  a  bar  extending  in  a  southwestern 
direction  across  the  mouth  of  the  harbor." 

ENGINEERING     DIFFICULTIES 

This  difficulty  was  met  by  extending  the  pier  farther  into  the  lake,  but  the 
next  season,  after  the  bars  had  formed  again  at  the  end  of  the  later  extension  it 
was  seen  that  this  method  of  meeting  the  difficulty  was  ineffectual,  and  the  gov- 
ernment resorted  to  dredging  which,  however,  gave  only  partial  relief.  The 
engineers  eventually  abandoned  further  attempts  to  maintain  the  requisite  depth 
of  water  for  navigation  purposes,  and  removed  the  dredging  machines  to  other 
ports.  "Such  a  state  of  things,"  continues  the  report,  "demands  a  prompt  and 
effectual  remedy,  particularly  at  a  time  when  our  canal  is  on  the  eve  of  com- 
pletion, and  a  consequently  great  augmentation  of  our  commercial  interests  about 
to  take  place.  The  completion'  of  the  canal  will  divert  a  large  share  of  the  car- 
rying trade  of  the  West  in  this  direction,  and  a  safe  and  commodious  harbor  at 
this  place  in  1848,  will  be  a  matter  of  most  urgent  necessity."  The  report  closes 
with  the  statement:  "Should  the  accumulation  of  sand  in  our  harbor  the  com- 
ing winter  equal  the  last,  it  is  susceptible  of  the  clearest  demonstration  that  the 
spring  of  1848  will  find  our  harbor  entirely  closed,  and  Chicago  cut  off,  entirely 
barred,  from  the  general  commerce  of  the  country." 

Chicago  was  made  a  port  of  entry  by  the  act  of  July  16,  1846,  and  soon 
afterwards  William  B.  Snowhook  was  appointed  collector  of  the  port.  Before  this 
time  no  accurate  figures  of  imports  and  exports  were  kept,  and  such  statistics  as 
are  obtainable  were  derived  from  inquiry  among  merchants  by  those  engaged  in 
making  up  reports,  such  as  that  from  which  we  have  quoted.  The  commerce  of 
Chicago,  from  1840  to  1847,  inclusive,  is  embodied  in  Thomas'  report,  and  is  as 
follows : 

COMMERCE    OF    CHICAGO    FROM    1840    TO    1847 

Exports  Imports  Total 

1840 228,635  562,106  790,741 

1841 348,862  564,347  913,209 

1842 659,305  664,347  1,323,652 

1843 682,210  971,849  1,654,059 

1844 785,504  1,686,416  2,471,920 

1845 1,543,519  2,043,445  8,586,964 

1846 1,813,468  2,027,150  3,840,618 

1847 2,296,299  2,641,842  4,938,151 

EARLY    STEPS    IN     PROMOTING    THE    CONVENTION 

The  first  steps  towards  bringing  about  the  great  River  and  Harbor  Convention 
were  taken  by  William  Mosley  Hall.  In  a  letter  written  from  Connecticut,  in  1881, 
to  Robert  Fergus,  Mr.  Hall  says:  "From  1845  to  1848,  the  writer  was  the  agent, 
in  the  South  and  West,  with  headquarters  at  St.  Louis,  of  the  Lake  Steamboat  As- 


356  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

sociation,  running  lines  of  steamers  between  Buffalo  and  Chicago.  Connection  was 
made  by  Frink  &  Walker's  stage  line,  and  subsequently  by  packets  on  the  Illinois 
and  Michigan  canal  with  Illinois  river  steamers  to  St.  Louis." 

Mr.  Hall,  finding  that  the  press  of  St.  Louis  were  taking  a  lively  interest  in 
the  commerce  of  the  Great  Lakes,  gave  a  dinner  to  the  editors  of  a  number  of  the 
leading  papers.  "During  the  repast,"  he  continues,  "the  subject  of  river  and  harbor 
improvements  was  broached,  and  the  convention  previously  held  at  Memphis,  where 
Mr.  Calhoun  sought  to  make  the  Mississippi  river  an  arm  of  the  sea  up  to  that  place, 
was  discussed;  until  finally  Colonel  Chambers  [of  the  Missouri  Republican]  re- 
marked that  although  the  Democracy  of  the  country  was  generally  opposed  to  im- 
provements of  the  kind  desired  in  the  West,  he  thought  that  if  a  properly  directed 
effort  was  made,  irrespective  of  politics,  it  would  receive  the  endorsement  of  the 
press  generally  throughout  the  country,  which  would  arouse  Congress  to  favorable 
action.  Furthermore,  turning  to  me,  he  said,  'There  is  no  one  that  I  know  of  better 
qualified  to  move  actively  in  the  matter  than  yourself,  and  we  of  St.  Louis  will  do 
all  we  can  to  aid  in  the  movement.'  " 

The  day  following  Mr.  Hall  started  for  New  York,  stopping  on  his  way  at 
Chicago,  where  he  remained  two  or  three  days.  While  at  Chicago  he  laid  the  propo- 
sition before  R.  L.  Wilson,  Dr.  W.  B.  Egan,  S.  Lisle  Smith,  and  several  others  who 
pledged  Chicago  to  its  support.  Thus  encouraged,  he  stopped  at  Detroit,  Buffalo, 
Albany,  Springfield  and  Boston,  and  at  all  these  places  he  found  those  who  sym- 
pathized with  the  proposal  for  a  River  and  Harbor  convention  to  be  held  in  some 
western  city.  Arriving  in  New  York,  a  meeting  was  held  on  the  evening  of  Septem- 
ber 28,  1846,  which  was  reported  at  considerable  length  in  the  New  York  Herald 
the  next  day.  Among  those  in  attendance  at  this  meeting  were  Robert  Fergus  of 
Chicago,  William  Duane  Wilson  of  Milwaukee,  William  Mosley  Hall,  and  many 
others.  Press  opinions  from  western  papers  were  read,  one  of  them  being  a  quota- 
tion from  the  Republican  of  St.  Louis,  which  proposed  that  a  convention  be  held  at 
St.  Lo%uis  some  time  during  the  following  spring.  "If  held  in  the  spring,"  said  the 
Republican,  "after  the  navigation  of  the  lakes  and  the  rivers  is  fairly  opened,  the 
facilities  for  traveling  would  be  greater,  and  the  delegates  from  all  quarters  would 
have  the  means  of  seeing  and  forming  some  idea  of  the  vastness  of  the  commerce 
and  interests  involved.  No  one  who  has  not  seen  something  of  the  carrying  trade 
of  the  lakes  and  of  the  Mississippi,  in  the  full  tide  of  the  spring  flood,  can  form  a 
correct  conclusion  as  to  its  extent." 

ENTHUSIASTIC    SUPPORT    FOR    THE    CONVENTION 

An  article  from  the  Chicago  Daily  Journal  was  also  read  at  the  meeting.  "Its 
only  aim  should  be,"  said  the  Journal,  "not  to  obtain  or  secure  political  capital  for 
either  of  the  great  political  parties  that  divide  our  country,  but  fearlessly  to  set 
forth  those  cardinal  principles  of  public  policy,  in  reference  to  appropriations  for 
our  rivers  and  harbors,  in  support  of  which  the  united  West  will  rally  with  ardent 
enthusiasm."  The  Journal  also  suggested  that  the  4th  of  July,  1817,  was  the  best 
time;  and  "whilst  we  have  no  disposition  to  be  captious  about  the  place  of  holding 
the  convention,"  it  continued,  "we  think  Chicago  has  claims  that  cannot  with  pro- 
priety be  overlooked.  Its  central  position  at  the  head  of  the  vast  lake  trade  and 


\ 


Original  owned  by  Chicago  Historical  Society 

WILLIAM  MOSLEY  HALL 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  357 

its  intimate  connection  with  the  lake  and  river  interests  seems  to  point  it  out  as  the 
most  convenient  and  appropriate  place.  It  stands  a  connecting  link  between  the 
different  channels  of  communication,  and  we  believe  that  more  of  the  interests  in- 
volved will  be  accommodated  by  the  selection  of  Chicago  than  in  the  choice  of  any 
other  place  with  which  we  are  acquainted." 

When  one  recalls  that  Chicago  at  that  time  had  only  a  population  of  seventeen 
thousand  souls,  that  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  was  still  two  years  from  com- 
pletion, that  there  was  not  a  mile  of  railroad  or  telegraph  built  in  its  vicinity,  that 
its  sole  means  of  communication  with  the  East  was  by  steamers  on  the  lake  and  by 
stage  lines,  that  travel  to  the  interior  was  all  by  horse-drawn  vehicles,  we  may  form 
some  idea  of  the  abounding  confidence  in  its  future  that  was  felt  by  the  inhabitants 
and  leading  men  of  Chicago,  a  confidence  that  was  fast  coming  to  be  shared  by  mul- 
titudes in  all  parts  of  the  country. 

At  the  meeting  in  New  York,  above  referred  to,  the  following  preamble  and 
resolutions  were  adopted: 

"Whereas,  the  great  and  rapidly  increasing  trade  and  commerce  of  the  Western 
Lakes  and  Rivers,  which  at  the  present  moment  are  more  than  one-half  of  the  for- 
eign commerce  of  the  country,  and  fully  equal  in  amount  to  our  coasting-trade, 
should  command  the  protection  of  our  National  government ;  and 

"Whereas,  it  is  of  the  first  importance  to  have  a  concert  of  action  of  the  friends 
of  this  great  interest  in  order  to  present  it  to  our  National  legislature  in  a  proper 
light ;  therefore 

"Resolved,  that  we  heartily  approve  of  the  recommendation  of  the  Western  press, 
for  a  Convention  of  all  the  interests  involved  in  Lake  and  River  navigation,  pro- 
posed to  be  held  in  the  summer  of  1847. 

"Resolved,  that  we  recommend  Chicago  as  the  most  suitable  point  for  holding 
said  Convention." 

The  recommendation  to  hold  the  Convention  at  Chicago,  contained  in  the  above 
resolutions,  met  with  almost  unanimous  approval  by  the  various  commercial  bodies 
and  public  assemblages  which  took  action  on  the  subject. 

PRESIDENT    FOLK'S     COURSE     CONDEMNED     ' 

When  President  Polk  vetoed  the  River  and  Harbor  bill,  August  3d,  1846,  he 
little  thought  of  the  storm  of  adverse  public  opinion  that  would  be  raised  in  conse- 
quence. Of  the  items  in  that  bill  which  affected  the  navigation  interests  of  Lake 
Michigan,  one  was  for  an  appropriation  of  eighty  thousand  dollars  to  improve  the 
harbors  at  Racine,  Little  Fort,  Southport,  Milwaukee,  and  Chicago,  all  included. 
Michigan  City  was  mentioned  in  a  separate  item  of  appropriation,  the  amount  named 
being  forty  thousand  dollars.  "Some  of  the  objects  of  the  appropriation  contained 
in  this  bill,"  said  the  president,  "are  local  in  their  character,  and  lie  within  the  limits 
of  a  single  state;  and  though  in  the  language  of  the  bill  they  are  called  harbors, 
they  are  not  connected  with  foreign  commerce,  nor  are  they  places  of  refuge  or  of 
shelter  for  our  navy  or  commercial  marine  on  the  ocean  or  lake  shores." 

The  Chicago  Daily  Journal,  in  its  issue  of  August  19th,  1846,  was  outspoken 
in  its  denunciation  of  the  president.  "His  real  hostility  to  the  bill  can  not  be  con- 
cealed by  such  shallow  subterfuge,"  it  said.  "The  objects  of  improvement  lie  north 


358  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line,  and  would  benefit  the  North  and  West,  whose  growing 
prosperity  is  hateful  to  the  slave-owners  of  the  South.  .  .  .  Three  times  al- 
ready has  the  whole  policy  of  this  government  been  changed  at  the  command  of  the 
South,  all  its  business  broken  up  and  deranged,  because  the  slave-owner  was  jealous 
of  the  prosperity  of  the  free  states.  They  were  rising  in  prosperity,  growing  rich 
in  commerce,  agriculture,  manufactures,  and  great  in  intelligence,  whilst  the  South, 
with  the  curse  of  slavery  upon  her,  was  standing  still  or  going  backward." 

The  Journal  returned  to  the  subject  in  its  later  issues.  "The  lakes,  from  their 
peculiar  position,  require  not  the  presence  of  armed  agents  of  government  for  the 
protection  of  the  commerce  that  is  borne  upon  their  surfaces.  All  they  require  is 
a  shelter  for  the  mariner  from  the  effects  of  the  strife  of  the  natural  elements,  not 
from  the  ill  effects  that  too  generally  succeed  a  wrangling  among  nations.  But 
even  this  boon  has  been  denied  by  the  enlightened(  !)  statesmanship  of  James  K. 
Polk,  who  interposes  his  veto  to  the  construction  of  that  shelter,  because  he  wants 
the  money  for  the  Mexican  War!" 

The  editorial  wrath  of  the  Journal  found  an  echo  in  many  places.  The  move- 
ment soon  became  too  general  to  be  guided  by  any  one  man.  William  Mosley  Hall, 
who  had  traveled  from  St.  Louis  to  the  East  in  September,  1846,  holding  many 
conferences  in  the  cities  he  passed  through,  was  undoubtedly  a  prime  mover  in  the 
cause  of  River  and  Harbor  improvements.  The  people  took  it  up  and  called  meet- 
ings at  many  points — Chicago,  Buffalo,  Cleveland,  Michigan  City,  and  in  eastern 
cities, — passing  resolutions  and  appointing  committees.  The  press  of  the  East  and 
West  made  a  live  issue  of  it,  until  it  attracted  the  attention  of  the  leading  states- 
men of  the  day.  Some  of  those  who  expressed  their  sympathy  with  the  movement 
were  Daniel  Webster,  Thomas  H.  Benton,  Silas  Wright,  Henry  Clay,  Martin  Van 
Buren,  and  many  others  who  attended  the  convention,  whom  we  will  mention  fur- 
ther on. 

CONVENTION    PRELIMINARIES 

On  the  13th  of  November,  1846,  a  meeting  was  held  at  the  Court  House  in  Chi- 
cago, "to  make  preliminary  arrangements  for  holding  the  convention  in  this  city, 
the  coming  season."  Mark  Skinner  was  made  president  of  the  meeting.  Several 
committees  were  appointed,  one  on  the  address,  consisting  of  seven  persons,  of  which 
John  Wentworth  was  chairman ;  a  committee  of  correspondence,  consisting  of  the 
same  number,  of  which  Norman  B.  Judd  was  chairman;  and  a  committee  of  ar- 
rangements, consisting  of  one  hundred,  William  B.  Ogden  being  the  chairman  of 
this  committee.  The  address  was  prepared  by  John  Wentworth,  and  is  a  forceful 
presentation  of  the  entire  subject.  The  address  is  printed  in  full  in  Fergus'  His- 
torical Series,  number  eighteen;  also  in  Hurlbut's  "Chicago  Antiquities."  Some 
portions  of  it  are  here  given: 

"The  movers  in  this  matter  have  been,  from  the  first,  like  the  undersigned,  of 
entirely  different  politics,  and,  so  far  from  there  being,  even  in  the  remotest  degree, 
any  political  design  in  the  contemplated  convention,  one  of  the  chief  objects  of  it 
is  to  call  together  for  a  common  object  the  men  of  all  parties,  and  to  convince  the 
people  everywhere  that  the  improvements  desired  are  not  now,  never  have  been,  and 
never  should  be,  connected  with  party  politics,  in  the  ordinary  use  of  that  term. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  359 

"The  construction  of  harbors  upon  our  Northern  Lakes,  as  well  as  upon  the  At- 
lantic, with  the  improvement  of  our  great  rivers,  where  commerce  is  of  a  national 
character,  necessarily  involves  no  question  of  party  difference.  .  .  .  This  sub- 
ject has  never  entered  into  any  presidential  canvass,  since  each  party  has  always 
taken  it  for  granted  that  the  candidate  of  the  other  was  above  suspicion  upon  a 
matter  of  such  preeminent  importance.  The  first  congress  that  ever  assembled  un- 
der the  present  constitution,  many  of  whose  members  helped  to  frame  it,  passed  a 
law  defraying  all  expenses  which  should  accrue  after  the  15th  of  August,  1789,  in 
the  necessary  support,  maintenance,  and  repairs  of  all  lighthouses,  beacons,  buoys, 
and  public  piers,  erected,  placed,  or  sunk,  before  the  passage  of  this  act,  at  the  en- 
trance of,  or  within  any  bay,  inlet,  harbor,  or  ports  of  the  United  States,  for  ren- 
dering the  navigation  thereof  easy  and  safe.  General  Washington  signed  this  bill; 
and  bills  for  the  continuance  of  such  works  were  also  successively  signed  by  Presi- 
dents, the  elder  Adams,  Jefferson,  and  Madison. 

"The  first  Lake  Harbor  bill  was  signed  by  Mr.  Monroe.  He  never  raised  the 
constitutional  question,  nor  do  the  congressional  debates  of  those  days  show  that 
any  members  of  either  branch  of  Congress  made  any  distinction  between  salt  and 
fresh  water  improvements,  or  between  foreign  and  domestic  commerce.  All  were  at 
that  time  acknowledged  alike  deserving  of  the  fostering  care  of  the  general  govern- 
ment, as  they  also  were  during  the  administrations  of  the  younger  Adams,  General 
Jackson,  and  Mr.  Van  Buren.  .  .  . 

"Is  it  necessary  to  protect  our  domestic  as  well  as  foreign  commerce?  Shall 
we  protect  the  lesser  and  neglect  the  greater?  For  the  past  three  years,  petitions 
have  been  presented  to  Congress  in  vain.  The  present  Secretary  of  War,  [William 
L.  Marcy],  in  his  official  reports,  has  recommended  in  vain;  and  the  whole  topo- 
graphical corps  has  estimated  in  vain.  Our  bills  have  invariably  been  vetoed,  and 
we  have  been  unable  to  secure  two-thirds  of  the  popular  branch. 

"Confident  that  there  is  wanting  a  knowledge  of  the  necessity  of  these  improve- 
ments among  the  people  or  their  representatives,  since  all  efforts  at  success  have 
failed,  it  has  been  thought  that  a  General  Convention  and  consultation,  with  per- 
sonal observation,  might  do  much  for  us.  There  is  not  a  state  in  the  Confederacy 
but  that  touches  the  lakes,  the  ocean,  or  the  great  rivers  of  the  West.  The  lakes 
line  almost  our  entire  northern  frontier,  and  separate  us  from  a  foreign  country; 
and  the  rivers,  like  arteries,  run  through  the  whole  country,  constituting  an  extent  of 
navigation  sufficient  to  reach  round  the  globe. 

"These  great  waters,  for  whose  safe  navigation  this  Convention  is  called,  are 
soon  to  be  united  by  the  completion  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal  The  com- 
merce of  Boston,  of  Philadelphia,  of  Baltimore,  of  New  York,  of  New  Orleans,  Cin- 
cinnati, St.  Louis,  and,  indeed,  of  the  whole  country,  thence  becomes  in  a  great 
measure  connected.  .  .  .  It  is  a  notorious  fact  that  statements,  during  the  pen- 
dency of  harbor  and  river  bills  before  Congress,  are  made  onjhe  highest  personal 
authority,  which  never  would  be  made  if  the  authors  had  any  personal  observation 
of  the  great  inland  waters  of  this  country.  .  .  .  cr  Delegates  in  attendance  will 
not  only  have  the  advantages  of  their  own  observation  to  take  back  with  them,  but 
they  can  profit  others,  meeting  them  here  by  a  consultation,  as  to  the  best  means  of 
redressing  existing  wrongs.  Having  done  this,  they  can  impart  the  proper  feelings 
to  their  neighbors,  and  thus  aid  in  arousing  the  people  to  take  this  matter  into  their 


360  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

own  hands,  and  see  that  their  chief  interests  are  no  longer  neglected.  It  is  con- 
fidently hoped  that  a  more  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  claims  of  these  great  wa- 
ters, formed  by  men  congregated  for  this  special  purpose  from  all  parts  of  the 
Union,  will  result  in  sufficiently  convicting  and  awakening  the  public  mind  to  secure 
the  constitutional  majority,  should  a  harbor  bill  ever  again  be  vetoed.  .  .  . 

"Although  the  construction  of  harbors  and  the  improvement  of  rivers  will  be  the 
prominent  subject  before  the  Convention,  yet  whatever  matters  appertain  to  the 
prosperity  of  the  West,  and  to  the  development  of  its  resources  will  come  properly 
before  it,  and  all  plans  and  suggestions  will  be  freely  entertained.  The  Committee 
invite  a  general  attendance  from  all  sections  of  the  Union,  and  tender  in  behalf  of 
their  fellow-citizens,  the  hospitalities  of  the  City  of  Chicago  to  such  as,  impelled 
by  a  common  interest,  see  fit  to  honor  them  by  their  presence  on  the  occasion." 

This  address  was  signed  by  John  Wentworth,  George  Manierre,  J.  Young  Scam- 
mon,  I.  N.  Arnold,  and  Grant  Goodrich. 

ASSEMBLING    OF    THE    CONVENTION 

In  attendance  upon  the  Convention  were  Horace  Greeley,  then  editor  of  the 
New  York  Tribune,  and  Thurlow  Weed,  editor  of  the  Albany  Evening  Journal. 
Both  of  these  men  sent  long  reports  to  their  papers.  Greeley's  first  letter  was 
dated  July  5th,  1847,  and  was  printed  in  the  Tribune  issued  on  the  17th,  thus  show- 
ing that  the  time  required  for  its  transmission  through  the  mails  was  twelve  days. 
Chicago  had  been  filling  up  with  delegates  for  ten  or  fifteen  days  previously  to  the 
beginning  of  the  sessions.  "When  we  arrived  on  the  'Oregon,'  at  sunrise,  yesterday 
morning,"  writes  Greeley,  "there  was  scarcely  a  spare  inch  of  room  in  any  public 
house.  But  the  citizens  had  already '  thrown  open  their  dwellings,  welcoming 
strangers  in  thousands  to  their  cordial  and  bounteous  hospitality,  the  steamboats, 
as  they  came  in,  proffered  their  spacious  accommodations  and  generous  fare  to  their 
passengers  during  their  stay.  .  .  .  At  all  events,  the  people  of  Chicago  have 
earned  a  noble  reputation  for  hospitality  and  public  spirit. 

"The  grand  parade  took  place  this  morning,"  continues  the  report,  "and,  though 
the  route  traversed  was  short,  in  deference  to  the  heat  of  the  weather,  the  spectacle 
was  truly  magnificent.  The  citizens  of  Chicago,  of  course,  furnished  the  most  im- 
posing part  of  it — the  music,  the  military,  the  ships  on  wheels,  ornamented  fire  en- 
gines, etc.  I  never  witnessed  anything  so  superb  as  the  appearance  of  some  of  the 
fire  companies  with  their  engines  drawn  by  led  horses,  tastefully  caparisoned.  Our 
New  York  firemen  must  try  again ;  they  have  certainly  been  outdone." 

TWENTY    THOUSAND     PEOPLE     IN     ATTENDANCE 

After  giving  a  general  account  of  those  who  were  present,  mentioning  the  names 
of  prominent  men,  he  says:  "A  judicious  estimate  makes  the  number  present  to- 
day twenty  thousand  men,  of  whom  ten  thousand  are  here  as  members  of  the  Con- 
vention." Perhaps  few  persons  in  these  latter  days  of  Chicago's  history  can  appre- 
ciate the  magnitude  of  this  gathering,  described  by  Thurlow  Weed  as  "undoubtedly 
the  largest  deliberative  body  ever  assembled,"  occurring  as  it  did  before  Chicago  had 
yet  emerged  from  its  condition  as  a  frontier  trading  town,  without  other  facilities 
of  communication  than  those  we  have  mentioned,  with  a  population  less  than  any 


ENTRANCE  TO  CHICAGO   HARBOR.   LOOKING   WEST.   1911 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  361 

one  of  sixteen  cities  of  Illinois  today,  when  twenty  thousand  people — more  than  its 
own  entire  population, — from  all  parts  of  the  East,  South  and  West,  assembled 
here  to  deliberate  upon  the  subject  of  the  improvement  of  rivers  and  harbors.  It 
is  one  of  the  greatest  events  of  our  history.  It  was  an  epoch  in  the  city's  commer- 
cial growth,  a  great  wave  wash  of  the  fast  rising  tide,  which  has  carried  Chicago 
forward  to  its  destiny,  and,  within  fifty  years  from  the  time  that  convention  was 
held,  has  made  her  the  Metropolis  of  the  West,  a  city  of  two  million  inhabitants, 
and  the  second  city  in  the  Union.  , 

The  people  of  Chicago  had  provided  a  spacious  tent,  above  one  hundred  feet 
square,  in  which  some  four  thousand  persons  could  find  seats.  "The  rest  of  the 
gathering,"  says  Greeley,  "were  constrained  to  look  in  over  the  heads  of  those 
seated.  At  the  close  of  one  of  the  speeches  on  the  first  day,  a  very  general  call," 
says  Greeley,  "was  made  for  Hon.  Thomas  Corwin,  of  Ohio,  which  could  not  be 
stilled.  Mr.  Corwin  was  finally  sought  out  in  the  body  of  the  convention,  and  con- 
ducted to  the  stand  by  Hon.  John  Wentworth.  Although  coming  to  the  stand  re- 
luctantly, Mr.  Corwin  addressed  the  convention  for  nearly  an  hour  in  his  own 
inimitable  manner."  He  spoke  of  the  wants  and  just  demands  of  the  West — the 
absurd  folly  of  considering  harbor  improvements  on  salt  water  constitutional  and 
on  fresh  water  not  so,  a  contention  that  had  been  effective  in  preventing  improve- 
ments on  the  lakes  by  the  government.  He  also  spoke  of  "the  mighty  strides  of 
the  West  to  greatness  and  dominion,  and  the  certainty  that  she  who  now  implores 
will  soon  be  in  a  condition  to  command." 

In  Greeley's  report  is  not  mentioned  a  most  interesting  episode  immediately 
following  Corwin's  speech.  As  we  have  seen,  Thurlow  Weed,  an  admirer  though 
often  an  adversary  of  Greeley,  was  also  present  and  sending  reports  to  his  paper. 
Weed  says  that  "When  Mr.  Corwin  closed,  there  was  a  general  call  for  'Greeley,' 
whom  Mr.  Wentworth  introduced  to  the  convention.  Mr.  Greeley  remarked  that  he 
had  hoped  that  his  reputation  as  a  bad  speaker  would  have  saved  him  from  the 
embarrassment  of  addressing  so  vast  an  assemblage. 

"Mr.  Greeley  then  spoke  for  half  an  hour  with  much  effect  in  favor  of  the  ob- 
jects of  the  meeting.  He  was  listened  to  with  great  attention,  and  warmly  cheered 
in  concluding.  Every  word  that  Mr.  Greeley  uttered  was  full  of  truth  and  wisdom." 

Many  speeches  were  made  and  the  interest  of  the  convention  was  maintained 
throughout  the  proceedings,  which  lasted  three  days.  "Up  to  the  last  hour,"  says 
Thurlow  Weed,  "the  crowd  was  a  dense  one,  and  every  delegate  stayed  to  the  end." 

DEMANDS    FORMULATED    BY    THE     CONVENTION 

The  resolutions  adopted  by  the  convention  consisted  mainly  of  an  argument 
to  show  that  internal  navigation  and  trade  was  of  as  much  national  concern  as 
foreign  commerce ;  that  the  power  granted  to  Congress  by  the  Constitution  "to 
regulate  commerce  with  foreign  nations  and  among  the  States"  was  applicable  to 
the  improving  of  rivers  and  harbors ;  that,  in  consequence  of  the  peculiar  dangers 
to  the  navigation  of  the  lakes  arising  from  want  of  harbors,  and  of  the  rivers 
from  obstructions,  the  prompt  and  continued  care  of  the  Government  to  diminish 
these  dangers  is  demanded ;  and  that  the  appropriations  heretofore  made  for  the 
interior  rivers  and  lakes  have  not  been  in  a  just  and  fair  proportion  to  those 
made  for  the  benefit  of  the  Atlantic  coast. 


362  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

A  letter  from  Daniel  Webster,  intended  to  be  read  at  the  convention,  was  re- 
ceived by  the  Committee  of  Correspondence  on  the  day  after  the  adjournment  of 
that  body.  Had  the  Committee  on  Resolutions  been  in  possession  of  this  letter 
of  Mr.  Webster's,  it  would  have  had  the  benefit  of  its  clear  cut  statements  and  forci- 
ble reasoning  on  the  Constitutional  question,  to  add  strength  to  the  resolutions  rec- 
ommended by  them  and  adopted  by  the  convention. 

"A  great  majority  of  the  people,"  said  Mr.  Webster,  in  the  letter  referred  to, 
"are  satisfied  that  the  power  to  make  these  improvements  does  exist  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  United  States,  and  that  it  is  the  bounden  duty  of  the  government  to 
exercise  that  power. 

"You  have  been  pleased,  gentlemen,  to  call  a  convention  without  regard  to  the 

distinctions  of  party I  am  glad  to  find  that  it  is  believed  that  persons 

belonging  to  a  party  which  heretofore,  as  a  party,  has  strenuously  opposed  Har- 
bor Improvements,  are  now  ready  to  join  in  measures  for  their  support.  I  have  no 
doubt,  especially,  that  among  the  younger  part  of  our  fellow-citizens,  who  have  not 
been,  in  times  past,  hopelessly  committed  on  these  subjects,  a  just  and  unprejudiced 
opinion  is  fast  making  its  way.  The  truth  is  that  of  the  two  great  parties  which 
have  divided  the  country,  one  has  been  for  Internal  Improvements,  and  one  against 
them;  but  in  this  latter  party  individuals  have  been  found,  principally,  I  believe, 
from  the  Western  and  Northwestern  states,  who  have  voted  for  such  improvements, 
and  thereby  created  a  majority  in  their  favor  in  the  House  of  Representatives, 
against  the  general  voice  of  their  party,  and  against  the  wishes  and  vetoes  of  the 
executive  government. 

"Broad  and  deep  as  has  been  the  division  of  parties,  yet  these  individuals  have 
felt  constrained,  by  a  sense  of  duty  and  a  clear  conviction  of  what  the  public  good 
requires,  to  reject  the  force  of  party  ties,  and  vote  with  their  opponents.  This 
conduct  is  patriotic  and  honorable,  and,  I  hope,  will  be  imitated  by  others.  Indeed, 
I  should  rejoice  to  see  that  which  has  so  long  been  a  party  question  become  a  na- 
tional question,  and  a  question  which  shall  have  but  one  side  to  it.  I  should  re- 
joice to  see  no  difference  of  opinion  on  a  topic  of  such  vital  and  general  interest. 
This,  however,  I  may  perhaps  not  see;  but  I  shall  see,  I  am  sure,  the  cause  of  Inter- 
nal Improvements  triumph  by  decided  majorities.  I  shall  see  the  Lake  Harbors  im- 
proved, and  new  ones  constructed;  I  shall  see  the  noble  rivers  of  the  West  cleared 
of  their  obstructions;  I  shall  see  the  great  internal  interests  of  the  country  pro- 
tected and  advanced  by  a  wise,  liberal,  and  constitutional  exercise  of  the  powers 
of  government." 

MR.    LINCOLN   AN    ATTENDANT    OF    THE    SESSIONS 

Mr.  Lincoln  was  present  and  attracted  some  attention.  The  Chicago  Daily 
Journal,  in  its  issue  of  July  6th,  says:  "Abraham  Lincoln,  the  only  Whig  repre- 
sentative to  Congress  from  this  state,  we  are  happy  to  see,  is  in  attendance  upon 
the  Convention.  This  is  his  first  visit  to  the  commercial  emporium  of  the  state, 
and  we  have  no  doubt  his  visit  will -impress  him  more  deeply,  if  possible,  with  the 
importance,  and  inspire  a  higher  zeal  for  the  great  interest  of  River  and  Harbor 
improvements.  We  expect  much  from  him  as  a  representative  in  Congress,  and  we 
have  no  doubt  our  expectations  will  be  more  than  realized,  for  never  was  reliance 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  363 

placed  in  a  nobler  heart  and  a  sounder  judgment.     We  know  the  banner  he  bears 

will  never  be  soiled." 

In  the  course  of  his  correspondence  Mr.  Greeley  mentions  the  future  great 
Emancipator.  "In  the  afternoon,  Hon.  Abraham  Lincoln,  a  tall  specimen  of  an 
Illinoisan,  just  elected  to  Congress  from  the  only  Whig  district  in  the  state,  was 
called  out,  and  spoke  briefly  and  happily  in  reply  to  Mr.  Field."  This  refers  to  a 
speech  made  by  David  Dudley  Field,  of  New  York,  who  had  taken  the  stand 
that  a  strict  construction  of  the  Constitution  would  not  be  consistent  with  im- 
proving rivers  within  the  limits  of  a  state,  and  denying  "the  right  of  the  Federal 
Government  to  improve  the  navigation  of  the  Illinois  river,  since  that  river  runs 
through  a  single  state  only,  or  of  the  Hudson  above  a  port  of  entry." 

RESULTS    OF    THE    CONVENTION    REVIEWED 

The  results  of  the  River  and  Harbor  Convention,  held  at  Chicago,  July  5th,  6th 
and  7th,  1847,  did  not  realize  the  hopes  and  expectations  of  its  friends  and  pro- 
moters. The  resolutions  which  were  adopted  at  the  close  of  its  sessions  were,  in 
effect,  an  appeal  to  Congress  for  the  improvement  of  the  harbors  of  the  Great 
Lakes,  and  for  the  clearing  of  the  channels  of  navigable  rivers.  The  River  and 
Harbor  bill  before  Congress  in  1851,  appropriating  two  million,  three  hundred 
thousand  dollars  for  a  great  number  of  improvements,  and  which  would  have  car- 
ried out  the  purposes  of  the  convention,  was  strongly  supported  by  Henry  Clay, 
the  greatest  among  the  Southern  senators,  and  by  Daniel  Webster,  the  greatest 
among  Northern  senators.  But  the  jealousy  manifested  by  the  Southern  states- 
men of  the  period  towards  the  rapid  commercial  development  of  the  North  and 
the  West  had,  by  this  time,  reached  an  acute  stage,  and  by  means  of  dilatory  pro- 
ceedings while  the  bill  was  under  consideration  they  were  able  to  defeat  the  strongly 
expressed  will  of  the  people,  and  the  bill  failed  entirely. 

The  holding  of  the  convention  at  Chicago,  however,  served  the  purpose  of  at- 
tracting the  attention  of  the  country  to  the  advantages  possessed  by  this  city,  the 
large  number  of  delegates  and  visitors  assembled  on  that  occasion  giving  evidence 
of  the  wide  interest  already  felt,  and  being  the  means  of  extending  the  fame  and 
reputation  of  the  city  far  and  wide  throughout  the  Union.  While  there  was  no 
immediate  action  taken  by  Congress  on  the  demands  formulated  in  the  convention 
resolutions,  the  ultimate  influence  was  invaluable  in  directing  the  public  opinion 
of  the  country  towards  the  great  subject  of  river  and  harbor  improvements;  and 
the  resulting  discussions,  then  and  thereafter  occurring,  contributed  to  the  ultimate 
settlement  of  its  status  under  the  constitution,  which  before  had  been  uncertain. 
Calhoun  and  others  were  opposed  to  "internal  improvements"  at  the  expense  of  the 
general  government,  "unless  three  or  more  states  were  benefited,"  a  distinction  which 
Webster  argued  was  absurd ;  but  in  later  years  the  improvement  of  rivers  and  har- 
bors without  such  a  restriction  came  to  be  fully  recognized  as  within  the  power  of 
Congress  to  provide  for. 

FLOOD  OF  1849 

A  flood  occurred  in  the  Chicago  river  on  March  12th,  1849,  which  caused  more 
serious  damage  to  shipping,  bridges  and  other  property,  than  any  event  of  a  like 
nature  in  the  historv  of  the  citv.  At  that  time  the  Desplaines  river,  in  seasons  of 


364  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

high  water,  flowed  over  the  divide,  and  mingled  its  waters  with  those  of  the  Chicago 
river,  a  condition,  happily,  no  longer  possible  since  the  construction  of  the  great 
Drainage  Channel,  and  the  diversion  and  control  of  that  previously  intractable 
stream.  The  following  account  is  condensed  from  Blanchard's  description  of  the 
event. 

After  two  or  three  days  of  heavy  rain,  which  had  been  preceded  by  heavy  snow 
storms,  the  citizens  were  alarmed  by  reports  that  the  ice  in  the  Desplaines  river 
had  broken  up,  that  its  channel  had  become  gorged  with  it,  that  this  had  dammed 
up  its  waters  causing  them  to  flow  into  Mud  Lake,  and  thence  into  the  Chicago  river. 
The  ice  in  the  latter  river  now  began  breaking  up,  and  soon  the  main  channel  was 
blocked  at  various  points,  seriously  threatening  the  vessels  and  steamers  tied  up 
along  the  wharves.  Each  owner  or  person  in  charge  at  once  sought  the  safety  of  his 
vessel,  strengthening  the  lines  by  which  they  were  moored,  and  all  waited  with 
anxiety  the  result  of  the  breaking  of  the  ice-jam. 

The  river  soon  began  to  rise,  the  water  lifting  the  ice  to  within  two  or  three 
feet  of  the  top  of  the  wharves,  when,  between  nine  and  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon, 
loud  reports  as  of  distant  artillery  were  heard  towards  the  southern  extremity  of 
the  town,  indicating  that  the  ice  was  breaking  up.  Soon,  to  these  sounds  were 
added  those  proceeding  from  crashing  timbers  and  snapping  hawsers.  In  quick 
succession  were  heard  the  voices  of  men  calling  to  the  crews  of  vessels  and  canal 
boats  to  escape  before  it  would  be  too  late,  while  crowds  of  people  hurried  to  the 
banks  of  the  river  to  witness  the  destruction  going  on.  It  was  not  long  before  the 
craft  of  all  descriptions  in  the  river,  except  a  few  which  had  been  secured  in  the 
one  or  two  little  creeks  which  then  connected  with  the  main  channel,  were  swept 
with  resistless  force  towards  the  lake. 

JAMS    OF    ICE    AND    WRECKAGE 

As  fast  as  the  channel  at  one  spot  became  jammed  with  masses  of  ice  and  ves- 
sels intermingled,  the  whole  mass  would  dam  the  flood,  which,  rising  in  the  rear  of 
the  obstruction,  would  propel  vessels  and  ice  forward  with  the  force  of  an  enormous 
catapult.  Every  lightly  constructed  vessel  would  at  once  be  crushed  like  an  egg- 
shell, canal  boats  would  disappear  from  sight  under  the  mass  of  ships  and  ice,  and 
come  into  view  below  in  small  pieces,  strewing  the  surface  of  the  boiling  flood.  At 
length  a  number  of  vessels  were  violently  precipitated  against  the  bridge  at  Ran- 
dolph street,  then  a  comparatively  frail  structure,  which  was  torn  from  its  place  in 
a  few  seconds  and  forced  into  the  channel  of  the  river.  The  gorged  mass  of  natural 
and  artificial  materials,  of  ice  and  general  debris,  kept  on  its  resistless  way  to  the 
principal  and  last  remaining  bridge  in  the  city,  at  Clark  street.  This  structure  had 
been  constructed  on  piles,  and  it  was  supposed  would  prevent  the  vessels  already 
caught  up  by  the  ice  from  being  swept  out  into  the  lake.  But  the  momentum  al- 
ready attained  by  the  great  mass  of  ice  and  wreckage,  which  had  even  lifted  some 
of  the  vessels  bodily  out  of  the  water,  was  too  great  for  any  ordinary  structure  of 
wood,  or  even  of  stone  or  iron,  to  resist;  and  the  moment  this  accumulated  material 
struck  the  bridge,  it  was  swept  to  utter  destruction.  The  crash  could  be  heard  all 
over  the  city. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  365 

SCENES    OF    DESTRUCTION 

The  scene  below  the  bridge  at  Clark  street  after  the  mass  of  material  had  swept 
by  was  terrific.  The  cries  and  shouts  of  the  people,  the  crash  of  timbers,  the  top- 
pling over  of  vessel  masts,  the  terror-stricken  crowds  of  people  assembled  in  the 
adjoining  streets,  were  sights  and  sounds  never  to  be  forgotten  by  those  who  wit- 
nessed them.  At  State  street,  where  the  river  bends,  the  mass  of  material  was  again 
brought  to  a  stand,  the  ice  below  resisting  for  a  time  the  accumulated  pressure. 
Some  of  the  stronger  vessels  still  withstood  destruction,  while  around  them  smaller 
craft  were  breaking  up  and  adding  numerous  fragments  to  the  general  ruin. 

Beyond  this  gorged  mass  the  open  river  and  lake  appeared  in  view,  and  it  was 
then  that  the  efforts  of  some  of  the  bolder  spirits  among  the  citizens  began  to  be 
effective  in  an  effort  to  relieve  the  pressure.  Arming  themselves  with  axes,  a  num- 
ber of  men  sprang  upon  the  vessels  thus  jammed  together,  and  at  the  risk  of  their 
lives,  succeeded  in  detaching  the  vessels  at  the  lower  end  of  the  mass  of  wreckage 
and  ice,  so  that  one  by  one  some  ten  or  twelve  of  the  larger  vessels  floated  free  to- 
wards the  open  lake.  Among  those  who  were  foremost  and  most  fearless  in  this 
dangerous  service  the  following  names  of  citizens  are  mentioned:  Alvin  Calhoun, 
brother  of  John  Calhoun,  founder  of  the  Chicago  Democrat,  R.  C.  Bristol,  of  the 
forwarding  house  of  Bristol  &  Porter,  Cyrus  P.  Bradley,  subsequently  sheriff  and 
chief  of  police,  and  Darius  Knights.  Their  successful  efforts  were  greeted  with 
loud  cheers  from  the  crowds  on  shore.  Once  in  the  lake  the  vessels  were  secured, 
in  some  cases  by  dropping  the  anchors,  and  in  others  by  being  brought  up  at  the 
piers  with  the  aid  of  hawsers. 

CONTEMPORARY    ACCOUNTS 

"Yesterday  morning,"  said  the  Democrat,  "the  scenes  in  the  river,  between  Had- 
dock's warehouse  and  Fort  Dearborn,  were  most  melancholy.  Piled  indiscriminately, 
in  some  places,  lay  vessels,  most  of  them  as  fine  craft  as  float  upon  the  lake,  a  mass 
of  entangled  wreck.  Between  them  lay  pieces  of  canal  boats  a  bow  sticking  out 
here  and  a  stern  there,  and  a  mass  of  wreck  in  other  places,  ground  up  into  pieces 
small  enough  for  kindling  wood.  Tall  spars  here  and  there  lay  across  the  decks,  and 
ropes,  chains  etc.,  in  inextricable  entanglement,  lay  knotted  and  twisted  in  all  di- 
rections. Some  forty  crafts  of  various  kinds  were  wrecked  or  injured,  and  formed 
one  of  the  most  costly  bridges  ever  constructed  in  the  West,  and  the  only  one  that 
Chicago  now  boasts  of.  Crowds  of  people  were  at  the  wrecks  yesterday,  and  crowded 
the  decks  of  the  various  vessels.  Many  ladies  were  not  afraid  to  venture  over  the 
novel  causeway,  beneath  which  the  water  roared,  falling  in  cascades  from  one  ob- 
struction to  another,  the  whole  forming  the  most  exciting  scene,  perhaps  ever  wit- 
nessed. We  understand  several  daguerreotype  views  of  the  vessels  in  their  present 
position  were  taken." 

This  allusion  to  the  new  art  of  taking  views  with  a  camera,  which  has  since  had 
so  wonderful  a  development,  is  an  interesting  one.  The  host  of  photographers, 
amateur  and  professional,  who  would  have  flocked  to  the  scene  of  such  a  disaster, 
if  it  were  to  occur  in  these  days,  may  well  be  imagined. 

The  following  additional  particulars  are  gathered  from  the  files  of  the  Journal, 
as  printed  in  Andreas'  history.  "At  about  ten  o'clock  the  mass  of  ice  in  the  South 


366  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

Branch  gave  way,  carrying  with  it  the  bridges  at  Madison,  Randolph,  and  Wells 
streets  —  in  fact,  sweeping  off  every  bridge  over  the  Chicago  river,  and  also  many 
of  the  wharves.  There  were  in  port  four  steamers,  six  propellers,  twenty-four  brigs, 
two  sloops,  and  fifty-seven  canal  boats,  many  of  which  have  been  either  totally 
destroyed  or  damaged  seriously.  The  moving  mass  of  ice,  canal  boats,  propellers, 
and  vessels  was  stopped  at  the  foot  of  Clark  street,  but  withstood  the  pressure  only 
a  moment,  crashing  vessels  and  falling  spars  soon  giving  evidence  of  the  ruin  which 
was  about  to  follow.  A  short  distance  below,  the  river  was  again  choked,  opposite 
Kinzie's  warehouse  ;  vessels,  propellers,  and  steamers  were  piled  together  in  most 
indescribable  confusion.  A  number  of  vessels  are  total  wrecks,  and  were  carried 
out  into  the  lake  a  mass  of  debris. 

"A  boy  was  crushed  to  death  at  the  Randolph  street  bridge,  a  little  girl  was 
killed  by  the  falling  of  a  topmast,  and  a  number  of  men  are  reported  lost  upon 
canal  boats  which  have  been  sunk,  and  upon  the  ice  and  bridges  as  the  jam  broke 
up.  The  bridge  over  the  lock  at  Bridgeport  is  gone.  The  wharves  all  along  the 
river  have  sustained  serious  injury.  A  son  of  Mr.  Coombs  was  lost  at  Madison 
street  bridge,  and  James  L.  Millard  had  his  leg  badly  fractured  while  on  board 
vessel.  One  poor  fellow  on  a  canal  boat  waved  his  handkerchief  as  a  signal  of  dis 
tress,  a  long  distance  out  in  the  lake,  during  the  afternoon  ;  but  there  was  no 
which  could  be  sent  to  his  assistance.  The  vessels  were  without  their  riggings,  an 
the  engines  of  the  steamers  were  out  of  order." 

ALL   THE   BRIDGES    SWEPT    AWAY 

The  city  authorities  went  to  work  vigorously  to  replace  the  bridges,  not  one 
which  remained  in  existence.  Present  relief  was  obtained  by  means  of  ferries. 
ferry  was  at  once  established  at  Randolph  street,  and  in  one  place  a  canal  boat  lay 
across  the  river,  which  was  made  available  for  crossing  on  foot.  A  schooner  wa 
used  at  Clark  street,  and  at  other  streets  farther  down  the  river  ferries  were  in 
stalled.  In  the  following  June,  Madison  street  bridge  was  opened  to  travel,  ar 
soon  after  a  new  bridge  at  Clark  street  was  ready  for  use.  Within  a  couple  of 
months  thereafter  new  bridges  had  replaced  all  those  swept  away  by  the  flood. 

In  the  year  1849,  when  the  flood  occurred,  Chicago  had  been  incorporated 
a  city  twelve  years.  Its  population  was  twenty-three  thousand,  and  the  city  wa 
growing  by  leaps  and  bounds.  The  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  had  been  complet 
the  year  before  and  was  entering  upon  a  prosperous  career.  Communication  with 
the  East  was  mainly  by  way  of  the  lakes,  as  it  was  yet  some  years  before  the  ad 
vent  of  the  railroads.  Lake  steamers  were  doing  an  enormous  business  in  the  trans 
portation  of  passengers,  and  the  lake  vessels  were  the  carriers  of  western  product 
to  the  eastern  markets. 

THE     CHICAGO    TRIBUNE 


The  first  number  of  the  Chicago  Tribune  was  issued  on  Avly,  10th,  1847.  The 
gentlemen  associated  in  its  establishment  were  Joseph  K.  C.  Forrest,  James  J. 
Kelly,  and  John  E.  Wheeler.  The  name  Tribune  was  adopted  at  the  suggestion 
of  Mr.  Forrest.  "The  origin  and  establishment  of  the  Chicago  Tribune,"  said  Mr. 
Forrest  in  later  years,  "were  the  initiation  of  an  entirely  new  departure,  not  only 
in  journalism,  but  in  politics  in  Chicago  and  the  Northwest.  The  creation  of  the 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  367 

Republican  party  is  as  much  due  to  the  establishment  of  the  Chicago  Tribune,  as 
to  any  other  one  cause." 

"The  first  edition  of  the  Tribune,"  says  Andreas,  in  his  "History  of  Chicago," 
"was  but  four  hundred  copies,  worked  off  by  one  of  the  editors  as  pressman,  upon 
a  Washington  hand-press."  Soon  after  its  establishment  Forrest  and  Kelly  re- 
tired from  the  Tribune,  and  it  was  continued  under  the  editorial  charge  of  Thomas 
A.  Stewart,  who  had  bought  an  interest  in  the  paper.  On  August  23d,  1848,  John 
L.  Scripps  purchased  a  one-third  interest,  the  firm  becoming  Wheeler,  Stewart  and 
Scripps.  On  May  22,  1849,  the  office  was  entirely  destroyed  by  fire,  and  two  is- 
sues of  the  paper  were  missed.  This  experience  was  repeated  at  the  time  of  the 
Great  Fire  of  1871,  when  there  were  no  issues  for  two  days,  and  again  in  July,  1898, 
when  there  were  no  issues  by  any  of  the  daily  papers  printed  in  the  English  lan- 
guage for  four  days,  this  interruption  being  caused  by  a  strike  the  particulars  of 
which  are  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  history.  These  omissions  were  the  only 
ones  that  have  occurred  in  the  daily  issues  of  the  Tribune  for  over  sixty-three  years. 

Regular  telegraphic  dispatches  began  to  be  received  and  published  in  the 
Tribune  on  December  6th,  1849,  this  paper  being  the  first  to  make  use  of  them.  Mr. 
Wheeler  sold  his  interest  in  the  paper  to  Thomas  J.  Waite  on  June  30th,  1851.  Mr. 
Scripps  sold  his  interest,  June  12th,  1852,  to  a  "syndicate  of  leading  Whig  poli- 
ticians." Morning  and  evening  editions  were  issued  for  a  time,  the  latter,  however, 
being  soon  discontinued.  Mr.  Waite  died  on  August  26th,  1852,  and  his  interest 
was  purchased  by  Henry  Fowler.  Timothy  Wright  and  General  J.  D.  Webster  also 
became  associated  in  the  ownership  of  the  paper  on  March  23d,  1853. 

On  June  18th,  1853,  Joseph  Medill  came  from  Cleveland  and  purchased  a  share 
in  the  paper,  and  it  was  then  published  under  the  proprietorship  of  Wright,  Medill 
&  Company.  On  the  21st  of  July,  1855,  Thomas  A.  Stewart  retired  from  the  part- 
nership, and  on  the  23d  of  September  following,  Dr.  Charles  H.  Ray  and  John  C. 
Vaughan  assumed  editorial  charge.  At  the  same  time  Alfred  Cowles  became  a 
member  of  the  firm.  On  March  26th,  1857,  Mr.  Vaughan  withdrew,  and  the  part- 
nership name  became  Ray,  Medill  &  Company. 

THE    DEMOCRATIC    PRESS 

In  order  to  understand  the  subsequent  history  of  the  Tribune  it  is  necessary  to 
go  back  to  the  year  1852,  when  John  L.  Scripps  sold  his  interest  in  the  Tribune 
as  above  related.  A  few  months  after  severing  his  connection  with  the  Tribune, 
Scripps,  having  associated  himself  with  William  Bross,  started  the  Chicago  Demo- 
cratic Press,  the  first  issue  of  which  appeared  September  16th,  1852.  The  Chicago 
Democrat,  under  the  editorial  charge  of  John  Wentworth,  was  then  in  existence, 
and  continued  publication  until  1861,  when  it  was  finally  discontinued.  The  sim- 
ilarity of  names  is  likely  to  cause  confusion  in  the  minds  of  readers,  but  it  should 
be  remembered  that  they  were  two  distinct  publications.  The  Democratic  Press 
was  at  first  a  supporter  of  Senator  Douglas,  but  in  time  became  estranged  from  him ; 
and  finally,  in  June,  1856,  it  hoisted  the  Republican  flag.  Having  thus  come  into 
substantial  agreement  with  the  political  doctrines  advocated  by  the  Tribune,  the 
two  papers  were  consolidated  under  the  name  of  the  Chicago  Press  and  Tribune. 
The  date  of  the  first  issue  of  the  paper  with  this  name  was  July  1st,  1858. 


368  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

THE     PRESS     AND    TRIBUNE 

The  consolidation  of  the  Democratic  Press  with  the  Tribune,  was  accompanied, 
as  stated  above,  by  the  change  of  its  name  to  that  of  the  Press  and  Tribune,  the 
proprietors  of  the  Democratic  Press  taking  an  interest  in  the  new  combination.  It 
was  during  this  period  that  the  Press  and  Tribune  showed  great  enterprise  in  news 
collecting.  It  contained  full  reports  of  the  Lincoln-Douglas  debates  which  were 
printed  with  unusual  promptness,  the  reporters  being  Henry  Binmore  and  Robert 
R.  Hitt.  The  expenses  incurred  were,  however,  very  large  and  for  a  time  seriously 
crippled  the  financial  resources  of  the  paper. 

The  name  of  Press  and  Tribune  continued  in  use  over  two  years,  until,  on  Oc- 
tober 25th,  1860,  the  word  Press  was  dropped  from  the  title,  and  the  paper  be- 
came once  more  the  Chicago  Tribune.  The  legislature  soon  after  granted  a  charter 
to  Charles  H.  Ray,  Joseph  Medill,  Alfred  L.  Cowles,  John  L.  Scripps,  and  Will- 
iam Bross,  under  the  name  of  the  Tribune  Company,  with  a  capital  of  two  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars. 

THE     ORIGINAL     PAPER     OF     THAT     NAME 

3\VTV<i 

The  history  of  the  Chicago  Tribune,  as  we  have  seen,  dates  from  July  10th, 
1847,  but  there  was  a  newspaper  of  that  name  which  had  a  brief  existence  in  Chi- 
cago, several  years  before  the  date  mentioned.  An  account  of  its  beginning  and 
career,  together  with  a  fac-simile  of  one  of  its  issues,  is  given  in  Andreas'  "His- 
tory of  Chicago,"  volume  1,  pages  378  and  403,  and  is  as  follows:  "On  April  4th, 
1840,  appeared  the  Weekly  Tribune,  published  by  Charles  N.  Holcomb  &  Co.,  in 
the  third  story  of  the  Saloon  Building,  corner  of  Lake  and  Clark  streets.  The  pages 
of  the  paper  were  eighteen  by  twenty-four  and  three-fourths  inches  in  size.  Of  this 
newspaper,  the  first  to  be  called  the  Tribune  in  the  United  States,  Edward  G. 
Ryan,  subsequently  chief  justice  of  Wisconsin,  was  editor,  and  it  is  said  of  this 
gentleman  that  he  was  one  of  the  very  ablest  writers  ever  in  Illinois.  The  Tribune 
was  of  very  excellent  typographical  appearance,  and  was  a  decided  credit  to  its 
management  during  the  early  days  of  journalism.  In  the  early  part  of  1841,  the 
forms  were  sold  to  Colonel  Elisha  Starr,  of  Milwaukee,  and  the  Milwaukee  Journal 
arose  from  the  debris  of  the  Tribune.  Jonathan  Carver  Butterfield,  one  of  the  old- 
est printers  in  the  city  at  the  time  of  his  death,  July  7th,  1854,  worked  on  this 
paper,  and  K.  K.  Jones  was  roller  boy  and  carrier." 

Thus  there  was  an  interval  of  six  years  after  the  discontinuance  of  the  Weekly 
Tribune  above  spoken  of,  before  the  Chicago  Daily  Tribune  began  publication. 

THE  TRIBUNE'S  LATER  HISTORY 

"During  the  Civil  War,  the  Tribune,"  says  Andreas,  "never  for  one  moment  fal- 
tered in  the  belief  that  the  Union  arms  would  be  successful.  ...  It  was 
among  the  first,  if  not  the  very  first  newspaper,  to  urge  the  emancipation  of  the 
slaves.  ...  Its  editors  and  chief  writers  during  this  time  were  William  Bross, 
Dr.  Charles  H.  Ray,  John  L.  Scripps,  Joseph  Medill,  Horace  White,  and  James 
W.  Sheahan.  Mr.  Scripps  was  appointed  postmaster  in  1861,  when  his  editorial 
connection  with  the  paper  ceased,  and,  in  January,  1865,  he  sold  out  his  stock  to 
Horace  White,  who  at  that  time  became  editor-in-chief."  In  1874,  Mr.  Medill  se- 
cured a  controlling  interest  in  the  Tribune,  and  it  remained  in  his  control  until 


BUILDING 


JOSEPH  MEDILL 

Mr.  Medill  was  connected  with  The 
Tribune  from  185:?,  when  he  came  to 
Chicago  from  Cleveland,  until  his  death 
in  1899.  Since  1874  the  controlling  in- 
terest was  in  his  hands. 


WILLIAM   BROSS 

Resident  of  Chicago  from  1848  un- 
til his  death  in  1890.  He  was  a  jour- 
nalist, and  with  John  L.  Scripps 
founded  the  Democratic  Press  in  1852, 
which  was  consolidated  with  The  Trib- 
une in  1858,  Mr.  Bross  retaining  his 
connection  with  the  new  concern. 


JOHN  L.   SCRIPPS 

Journalist  and  a  resident  of  Chi- 
cago from  1847  until  his  death  in  1866. 
He  was  connected  at  first  with  The 
Tribune,  founded  in  1847,  then  with 
William  Bross,  he  established  the  Daily 
Democratic  Press  in  1852,  which  was 
consolidated  in  1858  with  The  Tribune 
under  the  name  Press  and  Tribune, 
Mr.  Scripps  remaining  one  of  the 
editors.  In  1861  President  Lincoln  ap- 
pointed him  postmaster  at  Chicago,  and 
in  this  position  he  served  until  1865. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  369 

tiis  death  on  March  16th,  1899.  This  control  is  continued  by  members  of  his  fam- 
ily to  the  present  day. 

"The  growth  of  the  paper  in  business  and  influence,  from  the  beginning  of  his 
connection  with  it,"  says  a  writer  in  the  "Historical  Encyclopaedia  of  Illinois," 
"was  one  of  the  marvels  of  journalism,  making  it  easily  one  of  the  most  successful 
newspaper  ventures  in  the  United  States,  if  not  in  the  world."  At  his  death  Mr. 
Medill  left  these  explicit  injunctions  to  his  heirs:  "I  desire  that  the  control  of 
The  Tribune  shall  never  leave  the  Medill  family.  I  want  The  Tribune  to  con- 
tinue to  be  after  I  am  gone,  as  it  has  been  under  my  direction,  an  advocate  of  po- 
litical and  moral  progress,  and  in  all  things  to  follow  the  line  of  common  sense.  I 
desire  The  Tribune  as  a  party  organ  never  to  be  the  supporter  of  that  party 
which  sought  to  destroy  the  American  Union,  or  that  exalts  the  state  above  the 
nation." 

(Printed  in  the  Supplement  of  the  Tribune  Feb.  12th,  1900.) 

"Springfield,  June,  15th,  1859. 
TRESS  AND  TRIBUNE  Co., 

Gentlemen: — Herewith  is  a  little  draft  to  pay  for  your  Daily  another  year  from 
to-day.  I  suppose  I  shall  take  the  Press  &  Tribune  so  long  as  it  and  I  both  live, 
unless  I  become  unable  to  pay  for  it.  In  its  devotion  to  our  cause  always,  and  to  me 
sersonally  last  year,  I  owe  it  a  debt  of  gratitude,  which  I  fear  I  shall  never  be 
able  to  pay.  Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN." 

THE    STORY   OF  DAVID  KENNISON 

Among  the  less  conspicuous  monuments  in  Lincoln  Park  there  is  one  which  marks 
the  final  resting  place  of  a  Revolutionary  hero,  whose  name  was  David  Kennison, 
sometimes  spelled  Kinnison.  The  history  of  Kennison,  and  how  it  happens  that  his 
;rave  is  in  Lincoln  Park,  is  an  interesting  one.  The  spot  is  marked  by  a  granite 
aoulder,  the  top  of  which  is  some  three  or  four  feet  above  the  surrounding  turf, 
and  riveted  to  the  boulder  is  a  bronze  tablet  with  this  inscription:  "In  memory  of 
David  Kennison,  the  last  survivor  of  the  'Boston  Tea  Party,'  who  died  in  Chicago, 
February  24th,  1852,  aged  115  years,  3  months,  17  days,  and  is  buried  near  this 
spot.  This  stone  is  erected  by  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution,  the  Sons  of  the  American 
Revolution,  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution."  The  monument  is  located 
about  seventy-five  feet  from  the  sidewalk  on  North  Clark  street,  directly  opposite 
Wisconsin  street. 

As  is  well  known  this  portion  of  Lincoln  Park  was  used  as  a  city  cemetery  from 
1837  to  1865,  but  on  the  latter  date  burials  were  stopped  by  action  of  the  Common 
Council,  and  the  bodies  of  those  already  interred  were  removed  to  Rosehill  and 
other  cemeteries.  There  were  a  number,  however,  whose  remains  were  allowed  to 
remain  or  were  overlooked,  and  among  the  latter  were  those  of  David  Kennison.1 
[n  Lossing's  "Field  Book  of  the  Revolution"  a  portrait  and  fac-simile  of  his  signa- 
;ure  is  shown  by  which  it  appears  that  he  spelled  his  name  Kinnison  before  he  came 
;o  Chicago,  in  1842.  However,  such  references  as  are  found  in  Chicago  spell  the 
name  as  it  appears  on  the  monument. 

'Illinois  Historical  Society  Publications,  No.  8,  p.  291;   also  Fergus,  No.  28,  p.  114. 

Td.  1—24 


370  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

LOSSING'S  ACCOUNT  OF  KENNISON 

Lossing,  writing  in  1850,  says  that  Kennison  or  Kinnison  as  he  spells  it,  was  at 
that  time  living  in  Chicago,  and  was  in  his  one  hundred  and  fourteenth  year. 
"Through  the  kindness  of  a  friend  at  Chicago,"  writes  Lossing,  "I  procured  the 
daguerreotype  [which  is  reproduced  in  his  volume],  and  the  following  sketch  of  his 
life  from  his  own  lips.  The  signature  was  written  by  the  patriot  upon  the  manu- 
script." It  is  from  this  sketch  that  the  following  is  largely  compiled.  Previous  to 
1773,  Kennison  was  living  in  Lebanon,  Maine,  and  "was  one  of  seventeen  inhabi- 
tants of  Lebanon  who,  some  time  previous  to  the  'Tea  Party,'  formed  a  club  which 
held  secret  meetings  to  deliberate  upon  the  grievances  offered  by  the  mother  coun- 
try. .  .  .  Similar  clubs  were  formed  in  Philadelphia,  Boston,  and  the  towns 
around.  With  these  the  Lebanon  club  kept  up  a  correspondence."  The  colonists 
had  determined  that  no  tea  should  be  received  in  American  ports  because  of  the  tax 
which  the  British  government  insisted  should  be  paid,  and,  when  the  news  came 
that  three  ships  laden  with  tea  had  arrived  in  Boston  harbor,  the  Lebanon  club 
"repaired  to  Boston,  where  they  were  joined  by  others;  and  twenty-four  of  them, 
disguised  as  Indians,  hastened  on  board,  twelve  armed  with  muskets  and  bayonets, 
the  rest  with  tomahawks  and  clubs."  The  tea  was  thrown  into  the  harbor,  together 
with  the  similar  cargoes  on  the  two  other  ships,  and  the  "tea  party,"  which  had  in- 
creased to  some  hundred  and  forty  participants,  returned  to  the  landing  place  and 
marched  in  perfect  order  into  the  town,  preceded  by  drum  and  fife.  It  is  related 
that  the  British  admiral  was  at  the  house  of  a  Tory  during  the  time  that  the  tea 
was  thrown  overboard,  and  that  when  the  party  marched  from  the  wharf  he  raised 
the  window  and  said:  "Well,  boys,  you've  had  a  fine,  pleasant  evening  for  your  In- 
dian caper,  haven't  you?  But  mind,  you  have  got  to  pay  the  fiddler  yet!"  "Oh, 
never  mind,"  shouted  Pitts,  the  leader,  "never  mind,  squire.  Just  come  out  here,  if 
you  please,  and  we'll  settle  the  bill  in  two  minutes."  The  populace  raised  a  shout, 
the  fifer  struck  up  a  lively  air,  and  the  admiral  shut  the  window  in  a  hurry. 

Kennison's  name  is  mentioned  by  Lossing,  in  the  list  of  those  who  were  members 
of  the  famous  "Boston  Tea  Party."  In  the  sketch  given  of  him  Lossing,  comment- 
ing upon  the  great  age  to  which  he  had  attained,  says  that  he  was  descended  from 
a  long-lived  race.  "His  great-grandfather,  who  came  from  England  at  an  early 
day,  and  settled  in  Maine,  lived  to  a  very  advanced  age;  his  grandfather  attained 
the  age  of  one  hundred  and  twelve  years  and  ten  days ;  his  father  died  at  the  age 
of  one  hundred  and  three  years  and  nine  months ;  his  mother  died  while  he  was 
yet  young.  .  .  .  He  was  taught  to  read  after  he  was  sixty  years  of  age,  by  his 
granddaughter,  and  learned  to  sign  his  name  while  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution. 
He  was  in  active  service  during  the  whole  war,  only  returning  home  once  from  the 
time  of  the  destruction  of  the  tea  until  peace  had  been  declared.  He  participated 
in  the  affair  at  Lexington,  and,  with  his  father  and  two  brothers,  was  at  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  all  four  escaping  unhurt. 

KENNISON    AT   BUNKER    HILL 

"He  was  within  a  few  feet  of  Warren  when  that  officer  fell.  He  was  also  en- 
gaged in  the  siege  of  Boston ;  the  battles  of  Long  Island,  White  Plains,  and  Fort 
Washington ;  skirmishes  on  Staten  Island,  the  battles  of  Brandywine,  Red  Bank, 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  371 

and  Germantown;  and,  lastly,  in  a  skirmish  at  Saratoga  Springs,  in  which  his  com- 
pany (scouts)  were  surrounded  and  captured  by  about  three  hundred  Mohawk  In- 
dians. He  remained  a  prisoner  with  them  one  year  and  seven  months,  about  the 
end  of  which  time  peace  was  declared.  After  the  war  he  settled  at  Danville,  Ver- 
mont, and  engaged  in  his  old  occupation  of  farming.  He  resided  there  about  eight 
years,  and  then  removed  to  Wells,  in  the  state  of  Maine,  where  he  remained  until 
the  commencement  of  the  last  war  with  Great  Britain.  He  was  in  service  during 
the  whole  of  that  war,  and  was  in  the  battle  of  Sackett's  Harbor  and  Williams- 
burg.  In  the  latter  conflict  he  was  badly  wounded  in  the  hand  by  a  grape-shot,  the 
only  injury  he  received  in  all  his  engagements. 

"Since  the  war  he  has  lived  at  Lyme  and  at  Sackett's  Harbor,  New  York.  At 
Lyme,  while  engaged  in  felling  a  tree,  he  was  struck  by  one  of  the  limbs,  which 
fractured  his  skull  and  broke  his  collar-bone  and  two  of  his  ribs.  While  attend- 
ing a  'training'  at  Sackett's  Harbor,  one  of  the  cannon,  having  been  loaded  (as 
he  says)  'with  rotten  wood,'  was  discharged.  The  contents  struck  the  end  of  a 
rail  close  by  him  with  such  force  as  to  carry  it  around,  breaking  and  badly  shatter- 
ing both  his  legs  midway  between  his  ankles  and  knees.  He  was  confined  a  long 
time  by  this  wound,  and,  when  able  again  to  walk,  both  his  legs  had  contracted  per- 
manent 'fever  sores.'  His  right  hip  has  been  drawn  up  out  of  joint  by  rheumatism. 
A  large  scar  upon  his  forehead  bears  conclusive  testimony  of  its  having  come  in 
contact  with  the  heels  of  a  horse.  In  his  own  language,  he  'has  been  completely 
bunged  up  and  stove  in.' 

"When  last  he  heard  of  his  children,  only  seven  of  the  twenty-two  were  living. 
These  were  scattered  abroad,  from  Canada  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  He  has  en- 
tirely lost  all  trace  of  them,  and  knows  not  that  they  are  still  living. 

MOVES    TO    CHICAGO 

"Nearly  five  years  ago  he  went  to  Chicago  with  the  family  of  William  Mack 
[given  in  Fergus'  list  of  'Old  Settlers  prior  to  1843,'  as  William  Champion  Mack], 
with  whom  he  is  now  living.  He  is  reduced  to  extreme  poverty,  and  depends  upon 
his  pension  of  ninety-six  dollars  per  annum  for  subsistence,  most  of  which  he  pays 
for  his  board.  Occasionally  he  is  assisted  by  private  donations.  Up  to  1848,  he 
has  always  made  something  by  labor.  'The  last  season,'  says  my  informant,  'he 
has  gathered  one  hundred  bushels  of  corn,  dug  potatoes,  made  hay,  and  harvested 
oats.  But  now  he  finds  himself  too  infirm  to  labor,  though  he  thinks  he  could  walk 
twenty  miles  a  day  by  'starting  early.' 

"He  was  evidently  a  very  muscular  man.  Although  not  large,  his  frame  is 
one  of  great  power.  He  boasts  of  'the  strength  of  former  years.'  Nine  years  ago, 
he  says  he  lifted  a  barrel  of  rum  into  a  wagon  with  ease.  His  height  was  about 
five  feet  ten  inches,  with  an  expansive  chest  and  broad  shoulders.  He  walks  some- 
what bent,  but  with  as  much  vigor  as  many  almost  half  a  century  younger.  His 
eye  is  usually  somewhat  dim,  but,  when  excited  by  the  recollection  of  his  past  event- 
ful life,  it  twinkles  and  rolls  in  its  socket  with  remarkable  activity. 

"His  memory  of  recent  events  is  not  retentive,  while  the  stirring  scenes  through 
which  he  passed  in  his  youth,  appear  to  be  mapped  out  upon  his  mind  in  unfad- 
ing colors.  He  is  fond  of  martial  music.  The  drum  and  fife  of  the  recruiting 


372  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

service,  he  says,  'daily  put  new  life  into  him.'  'In  fact,'  he  says,  'it's  the  sweetest 
music  in  the  world.  There's  some  sense  in  the  drum,  and  fife,  and  bugle,  but  these 
pianos  and  other  such  trash  I  can't  stand  at  all.' 

"Many  years  ago  he  was  troubled  with  partial  deafness;  his  sight  also   failed 
him  somewhat,  and  he  was  compelled  to  use  glasses.     Of  late  years  both  hearing 
and  sight  have  returned  to  him  as  perfectly  as  he  ever  possessed  them.     He  is' 
playful  and  cheerful  in  his  disposition.     'I  have  seen  him,'  says  my  informant,  'for] 
hours   upon    the   sidewalk   with   the   little   children,    entering    with    uncommon    zesJ 
into  their  childish  pastimes.      He  relishes   a  joke,  and  often  indulges   in   'cracking 
one  himself.' 

"At  a  public  meeting,  in  the  summer  of  1848,  of  those  opposed  to  the  extension 
of  slavery,  Mr.  Kennison  took  the  stand  and  addressed  the  audience  with  marked 
effect.     He  declared  that  he  fought  for  the  'freedom  of  all,'  that  freedom  ought  to] 
be  given  to  the  'black  boys,'  and  closed  by  exhorting  his  audience  to  do  all  in  their 
power  to  abolish  slavery." 

KENNISON'S  CALL  ON  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  DEMOCRAT 
The  Democrat,  in  its  issue  of  September  19,  1848,  printed  the  following  notice. 
"We  had  a  call  yesterday  from  David  Kennison,  the  only  surviving  participant  in 
throwing  the  tea  overboard  in  Boston  harbor.  ...  We  consider  him  the  great- 
est curiosity  of  the  day,  and  almost  the  last  link  between  the  American  colonies  and 
the  United  States." 

KENNISON'S  ACCOUNT  OF  HIMSELF  IN  A  LETTER  TO  THE  DEMOCRAT 

Kennison  addressed  the  following  communication  to  the  Democrat,  some  time 
in  the  year  1848,  which  recites  the  leading  events  of  his  career,  some  of  which  is 
a  repetition  of  the  foregoing  account  printed  in  Lossing's  book. 

"Sir:  As  several  persons  have  been  to  see  me  to  know  how  I  was  going  to 
vote,  I  wish  to  get  from  you  the  use  of  the  Democrat  to  tell  the  people  what  con- 
clusion I  have  come  to  in  the  present  condition  of  my  country,  as  I  probably  shall 
never  have  another  opportunity  of  voting.  I  have  thought  much  of  the  subject, 
knowing  my  responsibility  to  God  and  my  country.  If  I  live  till  the  17th  day  of 
November  next,  I  shall  be  one  hundred  and  twelve  years  old. 

"I  was  born  at  Kingston,  New  Hampshire,  and  my  father  moved  to  Lebanon, 
Maine,  when  I  was  an  infant.  I  was  a  citizen  of  that  place  when,  at  the  age  of 
about  thirty-three  [he  must  have  been  thirty-seven  in  the  year  1773,  when  the 
event  he  is  about  to  mention  occurred],  I  assisted  in  throwing  the  tea  overboard  in 
Boston  harbor.  I  was  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill  and  stood  near  General  Warren 
when  he  fell.  I  also  helped  roll  the  barrels,  filled  with  sand  and  stone,  down  the 
hill  as  the  British  came  up. 

"I  was  at  the  battles  of  White  Plains,  West  Point,  and  Long  Island.  I  helped 
stretch  the  chain  across  the  Hudson  River  to  stop  the  British  from  coming  up.  I 
was  also  in  battles  at  Fort  Montgomery,  Staten  Island,  Delaware,  Hudson,  and 
Philadelphia.  I  witnessed  the  surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis,  and  was  near  West 
Point  when  Arnold  betrayed  his  country  and  Andre  was  hung.  I  have  been 
under  Washington  (for  whom  I  frequently  carried  the  mails  and  dispatches),  Pres- 


MEMORIAL    IX    LINCOLN    PARK    TO    DAVID    KENN1SON.    A    MEMBER    OP 
"THE  BOSTON  TEA  PARTY." 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  373 

cott,  Putnam,  Montgomery  and  Lafayette.     I  now  draw  a  pension  of  eight  dollars 
a   month   for   services   in   the    Revolutionary    war. 

"When  the  last  war  broke  out  [War  of  1812],  I  was  living  at  Portland,  Maine, 
when  I  enlisted  and  marched  to  Sackett's  Harbor,  and  was  in  battle  at  that  place, 
and  also  at  other  places,  and  now  bear  the  marks  of  a  wound  received  in  my  hand 
in  that  war.  I  voted  for  Washington,  Jefferson,  Madison,  Monroe,  Jackson,  Van 
Buren  and  Polk,  and  have  thought  that  I  ought  to  vote  for  Mr.  Van  Buren  at  this 
time.  I  am  a  strong  'free  soil'  man  and  spoke  at  the  free  soil  meeting  in  this  city 
on  the  Fourth  of  July  last.  I  have  always  been  a  Democrat  and  think  it  is  too  late 
to  change  now,  even  if  I  had  a  disposition,  which  I  have  not.  I  have  made  up  my 
mind  that  Mr.  Van  Buren  stands  no  chance  of  an  election,  and  that  voting  for  him 
will  endanger  the  success  of  the  other  Democrats  in  this  field,  and  so  give  us  a 
Whig  for  president;  hence  I  shall  cast  my  vote  for  General  Lewis  Cass  for  presi- 
dent and  General  William  O.  Butler  for  vice-president,  and  advise  all  other  Demo- 
crats to  do  the  same.  DAVID  KENNISON." 

KENNISON      RANKS      AMONG     THE      CHARACTERS 

Kennison  was  one  of  the  "characters"  in  Chicago  in  the  early  times.  He  came 
here  in  1842,  having  then  attained  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  six  years.  In  a 
sketch  written  by  Mr.  Stanley  Waterloo  for  the  Chicago  Tribune,  September  5, 
1909,  he  describes  his  appearance.  "Tall  and  erect,  and  with  white  hair  that  stood  up 
like  that  of  Andrew  Jackson,  though  it  curled  slightly,  with  keen  eye,  and  com- 
posed manner,  he  was  one  to  attract  attention.  .  .  .  He  was  consulted  often 
as  an  authority  on  matters  beyond  the  direct  knowledge  of  most  living  men,  and 
numerous  were  his  contributions  to  and  corrections  of  the  history  of  the  revolution." 

One  of  his  still  surviving  children,  a  daughter  whom  he  had  entirely  lost  sight 
of,  rejoined  him  in  his  last  years  and  was  with  him  to  the  end.  On  the  publication 
of  Lossing's  "Field  Book  of  the  Revolution"  in  1848,  in  which  is  given  an  extended 
account  of  the  Boston  "Tea  Party"  and  the  participants  therein,  this  daughter  was 
made  acquainted  with  her  father's  place  of  residence  and  that  he  was  still  living. 
She  came  at  once  to  Chicago  where  "she  smoothed  the  patriarch's  pillow  in  his  pass- 
age to  the  grave." 

At  the  time  of  his  death  in  1852,  the  Democrat  gave  an  account  of  his  last  hours, 
and  suggested  that  the  wish  he  had  expressed  for  a  military  funeral  should  be  re- 
spected. These  wishes  were  regarded  to  the  letter.  Waterloo  says  in  his  article 
above  quoted  from:  "The  council  voted  him  a  lot  in  the  city  cemetery.  His 
funeral  in  the  Clark  Street  Methodist  church  was  an  imposing  one;  and  to  the 
music  of  drum  and  fife  and  band,  escorted  by  the  local  military  companies,  and 
'the  Pioneers'  in  bearskin  caps  and  carrying  axes,  his  body  was  borne  to  the 
cemetery,  where  the  military  rites  concluded  with  the  prescribed  volley  over  the 
grave." 

A    HERO    OP    TWO    WARS 

Like  many  others  among  the  pioneers  whom  we  have  met  with  in  this  history, 
Kennison  was  rude  and  unlettered,  but  he  was  one  of  the  thousands  who  bore 
arms  in  the  war  establishing  our  liberties,  and  in  the  "Second  War  of  Independence" 


374  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

he  bore  an  humble  but  effective  part.  It  was  an  appropriate  act  on  the  part  of 
the  Sons  and  Daughters  of  the  Revolution  to  seek  out  and  mark  the  grave  of  this 
Revolutionary  hero  with  a  granite  boulder  and  tablet  of  bronze;  and  it  is  a  privilege 
to  have  his  grave  and  monument  in  our  most  lovely  park,  and  for  us  here  to  record 
the  story  of  his  life. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

RELIGIOUS  HISTORY 

RELIGIOUS  LIFE  IN  THE  EARLY  DAYS— FIRST  SERMOX  PREACHED  IN  CHICAGO— THE 
CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  CHICAGO— ST.  MARY'S  CHURCH  ORGANIZED— DEDICATION  OF 
FIRST  ST.  MARY'S— THE  EARLY  MISSIONARIES— ST.  MARY'S  JUBILEE— CATHOLIC 
ACTIVITIES— MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  MARY'S— THE  PAULI8T  FATHERS— THE  LAETARE 
MEDAL— FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH— DEDICATION  ADDRESS— GOING  TO  CHURCH 
IN  1834— PROGRESS  OF  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH— FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH— 
THE  METHODIST  CHURCH— EARLY  EDIFICES— METHODIST  CHURCH  BLOCK— PASTOR8 
.  OF  THE  FIRST  METHODIST  CHURCH— DIAMOND  JUBILEE  OF  THE  FIRST  CHURCH— 
THE  NORTHWESTERN  CHRISTIAN  ADVOCATE— EDITORS  OF  THE  ADVOCATE— ST. 
JAMES  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH— BISHOP  PHILANDER  CHASE— REFORMED  EPISCOPAL 
CHURCH— FIRST  UNITARIAN  CHURCH— CHURCH  OF  THE  NEW  JERUSALEM— JEWISH 
CONGREGATIONS— A.  D.  FIELD'S  RECOLLECTIONS— PIONEER  PREACHING. 

RELIGIOUS  LIFE    IN    THE    EARLY  DAYS 

Sip  N  LOOKING  over  the  period  of  the  building  up  of  the  small  community, 
a  natural  question  is  one  concerned  with  its  religious  life,  if  there  were 
any  here  at  the  time.  We  have  seen  how  the  voyage  of  discovery  in 
1673  was  in  part  a  missionary  enterprise,  and  that  the  presence  here  of 
Father  Marquette,  working  among  the  Indians  in  the  winter  of  1674-5, 
was  the  first  regular  ministration  of  religion.  Father  Marquette's  death,  in  the 
spring  of  1675,  left  a  blank  in  the  record  until  the  appearance  of  Father  Pinet  and 
Father  Bineteau,  in  1699.  Their  house  was  built  on  the  banks  of  a  small  lake, 
"having  the  lake  on  one  side  and  a  fine  large  prairie  on  the  other,"  as  described  by 
St.  Cosme,  this  locality  being  identified  by  Mr.  Frank  R.  Grover  as  at  the  place 
since  known  as  the  "Skokie."  This  mission  was  abandoned  two  years  later.  Here 
and  there  through  the  records,  we  obtain  glimpses  of  occasional  visits  of  the  mis- 
sionary priests  passing  to  and  from  the  Illinois,  but  no  regular  mission  station  was 
established  at  this  place  for  a  century  or  more. 

During  the  period  between  the  building  of  the  first  Fort  Dearborn  in  1803,  and 
its  evacuation  in  1812,  there  is  no  account  of  religious  activity  of  any  kind.  Among 
the  officers  in  charge  of  the  fort  no  mention  of  a  chaplain  appears,  and  if  there  were 
any  form  of  religious  exercises  they  were  confined  to  small  groups  of  which  we 
find  no  record.  After  the  rebuilding  of  Fort  Dearborn,  in  1816,  no  sign  of  religious 
life  appears  until  1822,  when  the  Reverend  Stephen  D.  Badin,  a  Catholic  priest 
of  Baltimore,  visited  Chicago,  and  during  his  visit  baptized  Alexander  Beaubien, 

375 


376  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

then  an  infant,  in  Fort  Dearborn.     This  was  the  first  baptism  in  the  future  Chicago 
of  which  we  have  any  knowledge.1 

It  may  be  remarked  in  this  place  that  it  is  somewhat  hazardous  in  writing 
history  to  mention  any  event,  building  or  improvement  of  any  character  as  the 
"first"  of  its  kind,  as  it  is  very  often  found  that  later  information  discovers  still 
earlier  instances.  Anything  that  is  first  is  interesting,  but,  as  the  Scriptures  say, 
"Better  is  the  end  of  a  thing  than  the  beginning  thereof." 

THE  FIRST  SERMON    IN   CHICAGO 

The  Reverend  Isaac  McCoy,  a  Baptist  Clergyman,  relates  in  his  book,  "History 
of  Baptist  Indian  Missions,"  that  on  the  ninth  of  October,  1825,  he  preached  the 
first  sermon,  as  he  was  informed,  "ever  delivered  at  or  near  that  place." 2  It 
required  a  considerable  amount  of  courage  in  those  days,  in  the  rough  and  ready 
life  of  the  frontier,  for  a  man  to  avow  himself  a  religious  man  or  a  believer  in  any 
form  of  religion;  but  among  the  soldiers  and  inhabitants  there  were  a  devoted  few 
whose  countenance  and  support  of  religious  services  and  mission  work  could  be 
depended  upon. 

In  the  year  1831,  a  Methodist  exhorter  by  the  name  of  William  See,  employed 
as  a  blacksmith  by  David  McKee,  "held  forth"  on  Sundays  in  the  little  schoolhouse 
at  Wolf  Point,  "less  to  the  edification  of  his  hearers,"  says  Mrs.  Kinzie,  "than  to 
the  unmerciful  slaughter  of  the  King's  English."  He  was  a  man,  however,  of 
unblemished  character.  "He  did  what  he  could  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  more 
efficient,  though  not  more  meritorious  work  done  by  his  immediate  successors." 8 
In  this  year,  the  Reverend  Stephen  R.  Beggs  came  to  Chicago  from  Plainfield, 
Illinois,  where  he  was  among  the  first  settlers,  and  held  meetings  at  the  fort  and 
at  the  schoolhouse  before  mentioned,  the  result  of  which  was  the  formation  of  a 
class.  From  this  beginning  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Chicago  entered 
upon  its  splendid  career  of  religious  prosperity  and  usefulness.4 

THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH  IN    CHICAGO 

St.  Mary's  Church  is  the  oldest  church  organization  in  Chicago,  dating  from 
the  17th  of  April,  in  the  year  1833.  The  priest  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the 
newly  organized  church  society,  Father  St.  Cyr,  arrived  in  Chicago  from  St.  Louis, 
on  the  first  of  May  following.  We  have  compiled  this  account  largely  from  a 
history  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  printed  in  1908,  by  Hon.  William  J.  Onahan,  a 
distinguished  layman  in  the  Catholic  church.  Mr.  Onahan  came  to  Chicago  in 
1854,  and  has  been  prominent  in  the  business  and  public  life  of  the  city,  as  well 
as  a  devoted  son  of  the  church  of  his  faith. 

Mr.  Onahan  has  been  honored  by  two  Popes  with  the  distinction  of  Papal  Cham- 
berlain, and  is  one  of  the  holders  of  the  Lsetare  medal,  conferred  upon  him  in 
1890,  by  the  faculty  of  the  University  of  Notre  Dame.  This  medal  is  bestowed 
every  year  upon  a  member  of  the  Catholic  laity,  man  or  woman,  who  may  be  dis- 

1  Andreas:    "History  of  Chicago,"  I,  288. 

2  Cited  by  Hurlbut,  "Chicago  Antiquities,"  p.  198. 
'Andreas:   "History  of  Chicago,"  Vol.  I,  p.  114  . 

4  Beggs:  "Early  History  of  the  Northwest,"  p.  87. 


r-V  r,  ',t  '  !     ;•' 

" 


FIRST   ST.   MARY'S   CHURCH,   ERECTED   BY 
FATHER   ST.  CYR.   1833 


SECOND  ST.  MARY'S  CHURCH 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  377 

tinguished  in  furthering  the  interests  of  morality,  education  and  citizenship.  In 
!a  later  portion  of  this  chapter  the  history  and  description  of  this  medal  will  be 
i  given. 

ST.  MARY'S   CHURCH  ORGANIZED 

The  Catholic  residents  of  Chicago  in  1833  began  a  movement  for  the  forma- 
ition  of  a  church.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  among  the  inhabitants  at  that 
time  were  many  Canadian  French,  brought  up  in  the  Catholic  faith,  as  well  as 
others  who  were  quite  willing  to  aid  and  support  a  priest  to  minister  to  the  wants 
of  the  people  of  that  faith,  if  he  should  be  sent  to  them.  A  petition  was  prepared 
and  signed  quite  numerously,  the  petition  and  signatures  being  given  in  full,  as 
follows : 

"To  the  Right  Reverend  Catholic  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  the  State  of  Mis- 
souri at  St.  Louis; 

"We,  the  Catholics  of  Chicago,  Cook  County,  Illinois,  lay  before  you  the  ne- 
cessity there  is  to  have  a  pastor  in  this  new  and  flourishing  city.  There  are  here 
several  families  of  French  descent,  born  and  brought  up  in  the  Roman  Catholic 
Faith,  and  others  quite  willing  to  aid  us  in  supporting  a  Pastor,  who  ought  to  be 
sent  here  before  other  sects  obtain  the  upper  hand,  which  very  likely  they  will 
undertake  to  do.  We  have  heard  several  persons  say  and  assure  were  there  a 
Pastor  here  they  would  join  our  religion  in  preference  to  any  other.  We  count 
about  one  hundred  Catholics  in  this  town.  We  will  not  cease  to  pray  until  you 
have  taken  our  important  request  into  consideration. 

"[Signed:]  J.  V.  Owen  and  Family,  J.  B.  Beaubien  and  Family,  J.  Lafram- 
boise  and  Family,  J.  Pothier  and  Family,  A.  Robinson  and  Family,  P.  Leclere  and 
Family,  R.  Laframboise  and  Family,  C.  Laframboise  and  Family,  J.  Chassut  and 
Family,  A.  Ouilmet,  L.  Bourasse,  C.  Taylor,  J.  B.  -Maranda  and  Sisters,  L.  Che- 
valier and  Family,  P.  Walsh  and  Family,  J.  Mann  and  Family,  J.  Caldwell,  B. 
Saver,  J.  B.  Babba,  J.  B.  Proulx,  J.  B.  Jalevy,  J.  B.  Durveher,  A.  Taylor,  L. 
Franchere,  Major  Whistler's  Family,  M.  Beaubien,  J.  B.  Bradeur,  M.  Smith,  A. 
St.  Ours,  B.  Duplat,  Ch.  Munselle,  J.  Hondorf,  D.  Asgood,  Nelson  P.  Perry,  John 
Hogan,  D.  Vaughn." 

The  original  paper  is  endorsed  April,  1833.  "Petition  of  the  Catholics  of 
Chicago;  received  the  16th,  answered  the  17th." 

RESPONSE    TO    THE     PETITION 

The  Bishop  of  St.  Louis,  Joseph  Rosatti,  promptly  granted  the  request  of  the 
petitioners,  and  appointed  Father  John  M.  I.  St.  Cyr,  a  young  man  who  had  just 
been  ordained  to  the  priesthood,  and  who  was  then  thirty  years  of  age.  This  was 
his  first  appointment,  and  he  entered  upon  it  with  the  enthusiasm  characteristic  of 
the  missionary.  St.  Cyr  was  born  in  France  and  received  his  education  there.  He 
had  only  been  in  America  two  years  when  he  was  assigned  to  duty  as  the  first 
priest  at  Chicago,  and  it  proved  a  fortunate  selection.  He  made  the  journey  from 
St.  Louis,  part  of  the  way  by  boat,  and  part  across  country  on  horseback,  and  even 
on  foot  on  the  last  stage  of  the  journey. 

Father  St.  Cyr  celebrated  his  first  Mass  in  Chicago,  May  5,  1833,  in  a  little 
log  house,  the  home  of  Mark  Beaubien,  one  of  the  petitioners.  The  new  pastor 


378  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

at  once  set  to  work  to  provide  a  suitable  church,  and  within  a  short  time  he  had 
raised  the  needed  funds  and  obtained  the  material,  the  required  lumber  being 
brought  on  a  scow  from  St.  Joseph,  across  the  lake.  Augustine  D.  Taylor  was 
both  architect  and  builder  of  the  modest  edifice,  for  which  he  received  the  munifi- 
cent sum  of  four  hundred  dollars,  which  was  paid  to  him,  as  he  subsequently  de- 
clared, all  in  silver  half  dollars.  An  Indian  woman  cleaned  and  prepared  the 
building  for  the  dedication,  or  rather  for  the  celebration  of  the  first  Mass.  John 
Wright,  a  Presbyterian,  afterwards  a  deacon  in  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  as- 
sisted Taylor  in  framing  the  little  Catholic  church.  The  building  stood  on  a  loca- 
tion near  the  southwest  corner  of  State  and  Lake  streets. 

DEDICATION    OF    THE     FIRST    ST.    MARY'S    CHURCH 

Though  a  small  and  inexpensive  church  edifice,  it  was  not  completed  until  Octo- 
ber. At  the  dedication  service  there  were  present  about  one  hundred  persons.  The 
walls  and  ceiling  of  the  church  were  not  plastered,  and  only  rough  benches  were 
made  for  the  congregation,  while  a  simple  table  served  for  altar.  The  outside  of 
the  church  was  not  painted,  and  it  had  neither  steeple  nor  bell  tower.  Some  time 
later  an  open  tower  was  placed  at  one  end  of  the  roof,  and  a  small  bell,  about  the 
size  of  a  locomotive  bell  of  the  present  day,  was  hung  within  it. 

In  1 836  some  trouble  arose  about  the  title  to  the  land  on  which  the  church  stood, 
and  it  was  removed  to  a  new  location  at  the  corner  of  Michigan  avenue  and  Madison 
street.  Here  the  building  was  enlarged,  but  soon  after  it  was  again  removed  to 
the  southwest  corner  of  Wabash  avenue  and  Madison  street.  A  new  church,  the 
pro-cathedral,  was  built  on  this  location  in  1843,  and  the  old  structure  once  more 
removed,  this  time  to  the  westward  on  the  same  block.  The  new  church  was  of 
brick,  fifty-five  feet  wide,  one  hundred  and  twelve  feet  long  and  included  a 
wide  portico,  the  roof  of  which  was  supported  by  four  Ionic  columns.  The  cost 
of  the  new  building  was  four  thousand  dollars.  St.  Xavier's  Academy,  under  the 
charge,  of  the  Sisters  of  Mercy,  at  131  Wabash  avenue,  was  later  built  on  the  adjoin- 
ing lot  south  of  the  church.6 

THE     EARLY     MISSIONARIES 

While  St.  Mary's  may  be  regarded  as  the  earliest  church  organization  in  the 
city,  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  a  missionary  priest  of  the  Catholic  church  was 
one  of  the  discoverers  of  the  region,  wherein  is  now  located  the  city  of  Chicago. 
Father  Marquette  celebrated  mass  in  his  hut  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  during  the 
winter  of  1674-5,  at  a  spot  which  has  been  marked  with  a  memorial  cross  in  recent 
years.  For  more  than  a  century  Catholic  missionaries  followed  each  other  in  their 
visits  to  this  region.  As  Bancroft  says,  "not  a  lake  was  penetrated,  not  a  head- 
land turned  in  the  Northwest,  but  a  Jesuit  led  the  way."  The  sacrifices  made  by 
these  early  missionaries,  the  perils  braved  by  them,  and  the  trials  they  endured, 
may  be  better  understood  when  one  reads  the  records  of  their  labors.  "The  coun- 
try itself  presented  a  thousand  obstacles,"  writes  Shea,  "there  was  danger  from 
flood,  danger  from  wild  beasts,  danger  from  the  roving  savages,  danger  from  false 
friends  and  danger  from  the  furious  rapids  on  rivers."  And  in  the  midst  of  these 

6  Hurlbut,  602. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  379 

dangers   many   lost   their   lives,   willing   martyrs   to   the   cause   to   which   they   were 
devoted. 

THE   ZEAL    OF    THE    MISSIONARIES 

"The  history  of  St.  Mary's  church  and  parish,"  said  Mr.  Onahan,  in  the  "Jubi- 
lee Address,"  in  June,  1908,  "is  in  a  measure  the  narrative  of  the  growth  of  the 
Catholic  church  in  Chicago,  and  of  the  progress  of  this  wonderful  city.  .  .  . 
The  prodigies  of  religious  and  material  development  we  have  lived  to  witness  have 
been  brought  forth  in  the  past  seventy-five  years."  Further  on  in  his  address  Mr. 
Onahan  said:  "But  I  do  not  need  to  lay  stress  on  the  fact  that  the  Catholic  church 
has  been  the  pioneer  of  Christianity  here,  as  elsewhere  throughout  this  continent. 
American  history  abounds  with  the  proof  and  testimony.  American  historians 
acknowledge  it,  American  geography  significantly  in  nomenclature  demonstrates  it. 
P'rom  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era  down  to  the  present  it  has  been  so  in  every 
land,  no  distance  or  danger  has  deterred  the  Catholic  missionary,  and  today,  as  in 
the  past,  they  penetrate  with  fearless  resolution  and  undaunted  courage  to  the 
frontiers  of  civilization  and  far  beyond  its  limits,  in  order  to  carry  the  light  of 
the  Gospel,  and  the  blessings  of  Christian  faith,  to  the  benighted  and  barbarous 
tribes  and  nations." 

MR.  ONAHAN'S  JUBILEE  ADDRESS 

It  is  not  often  that  we  find  so  eloquent  an  expression  of  what  the  Catholic  church 
stands  for  in  relation  to  its  own  people,  and  the  people  of  the  community  in  gen- 
eral, as  is  found  in  this  Jubilee  Address  delivered  by  Mr.  Onahan,  to  which  we 
have  referred  above.  When  we  remember  that  more  than  half  of  the  population 
of  our  city  today  are  adherents  of  the  Catholic  faith,  we  may  listen  with  profound 
respect  and  attention  to  this  intelligent  and  broad  minded  representative  of  so 
numerous  a  constituency.  We  quote  below  some  striking  passages  from  the  address. 

CATHOLIC    CHURCH   INFLUENCES 

"I  do  not  need  to  speak  of  the  influence  of  the  church  on  individual  members  of 
the  congregation  through  its  sacred  rites,  its  sacraments,  and  ceremonies.  Only 
the  Catholic  can  comprehend  what  these  mean  to  him  and  to  his  soul.  His  church 
is  to  him  something  more  than  an  auditorium  or  lecture  hall.  For  the  Catholic 
his  church  is  the  House  of  God,  and  so  there  attaches  to  the  place  of  Catholic  wor- 
ship peculiar  and  distinctive  reverence. 

"What  then  has  been  the  influence  of  St.  Mary's  and  of  the  Catholic  church 
in  Chicago,  throughout  the  past  seventy-five  years?  The  religious  teaching  and 
ministrations  in  our  churches  today  is  the  same  as  taught  and  practised  by  Father 
St.  Cyr  and  the  early  missionaries — the  same  Christian  doctrine;  the  same  sacred 
rites;  the  same  principles  of  faith,  hope,  and  charity.  Now,  as  then,  the  Catholic 
priest  is  laboring  for  the  salvation  of  souls- — striving  to  make  men  more  perfect 
Christians,  consequently  better  citizens,  and  more  valuable  members  of  society. 
See  what  this  church  has  done  here  in  our  midst  for  religion,  for  education,  for 
temperance  and  for  the  sacred  cause  of  charity.  I  cannot  detain  you  with  elaborate 
details  and  statistics.  Briefly  then,  I  may  say  we  have  in  Chicago  a  Catholic  popu- 


380  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

lation   approximating   one   million,  comprising   representatives   of    every    race    and 
nation,  worshipping  in  nearly  two  hundred  churches. 

CATHOLIC   ACTIVITIES 

"We  have  an  attendance  in  our  parochial  schools,  colleges  and  academies  of 
one  hundred  thousand,  where  the  knowledge  of  God  and  His  commandments  is 
daily  taught;  and  we  may  point  with  pride  to  the  multiplied  asylums  and  institu- 
tions which  are  provided  for  every  form  and  phase  of  human  infirmity  and  afflic- 
tion; for  the  orphan  and  the  foundling;  reformatories  for  the  erring  and  the  way- 
ward; homes  for  the  aged  poor;  hospitals  for  the  sick  and  the  infirm.  How  has 
it  been  possible,  considering  our  condition  and  resources,  to  establish  and  multiply 
all  these  prodigies  of  religious  zeal  and  holy  charity?  How  meet  the  burdens 
which  their  support  imposes?  , 

"Only  by  the  self-sacrificing  spirit  and  the  generous  liberality  of  the  Catholic 
laity — men  and  women.  Priests  and  bishops  and  archbishops  initiate,  plan,  and 
direct  these  matters  with  unfailing  zeal  and  wise  judgment;  but  these  evidences 
of  religious  faith  and  charitable  zeal  which  are  to  be  seen  in  every  quarter  of  the 
city  could  not  be  possible  without  the  indispensable  support  and  willing  co-opera- 
tion of  the  loyal  Catholic  laity.  We  have  happily  had  in  the  past  priests  and 
bishops  who  gave  splendid  examples  of  religious  ardor,  of  splendid  qualities  and 
character.  They  were  without  exception  equal  to  their  high  responsibilities,  to 
the  duties  and  necessities  of  the  situation  in  which  they  were  placed ;  and  the  1 
same  is  conspicuously  true  of  the  late  and  the  present  authorities  of  this  great 
archdiocese.  We  have  reason  to  be  proud  of  the  administration  and  progress  of 
the  church  in  our  dav. 

A    DISTINGUISHED   ARCHBISHOP 

"I  must  not  omit  to  mention  the  name  of  a  distinguished  member  of  the  Ameri- 
can hierarchy  who  has  acknowledged  that  it  was  in  Old  St.  Mary's  the  sugges- 
tion and  inspiration  first  came  to  him  of  a  vocation  for  the  holy  priesthood.  In  I 
the  early  '50s  a  young  Irish  lad  was  attending  the  school  attached  to  the  church 
and  the  classes  were  held  in  the  original  frame  building — the  first  church  of  1833, 
built  by  Father  St.  Cyr.  The  priest  who  had  charge  of  the  catechism  class  in 
examining  the  boys,  one  day,  was  so  struck  by  the  correct  answers  and  the  readiness 
of  a  young  Irish  lad  that  after  school  hours  he  took  him  aside  and  questioned  him: 
'Where,'  he  asked,  'did  you  learn  your  lessons  in  the  catechism?'  'In  the  County 
Kilkenny,  where  I  came  from,'  was  the  answer. 

"Impressed  by  the  ingenuous  manner  of  the  youth  and  by  his  precise  and  exact 
knowledge  of  the  Christian  doctrine  the  father  said  to  him:  'Would  you  not  like  to 
be  a  priest?'  Whatever  may  have  been  the  answer,  the  suggestion  at  all  events 
made  an  impression  on  the  boy.  The  thought  of  the  sacred  ministry— of  a  voca-. 
tion  for  the  priesthood— had  never  up  to  that  moment  entered  the  boy's  head. 
He  went  home  and  told  his  father  and  mother  what  the  priest  had  said  to  him. 
Shortly  after  the  family  moved  to  St.  Paul.  The  bishop  there  soon  after  came 
to  know  this  boy,  and  being  similarly  impressed  by  the  character  and  promise  of 
the  youth,  gained  the  consent  of  his  parents  and  sent  him  to  France  to  pursue  his 
studies  for  the  priesthood,  in  an  ecclesiastical  seminary.  That  young  Irish  lad 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  381 

who  received  the  suggestion  of  his  vocation  in  Old  St.  Mary's  is  now  the  great 
and  famous  John  Ireland,  Archbishop  of  St.  Paul.  Do  you  not  agree  with  me 
that  this  interesting  fact  is  something  Chicago  and  St.  Mary's  may  well  be  proud 
of?  .  .  . 

RESPECT    FOR    CIVIL    AUTHORITY 

"The  time  has  gone  by  when  Catholics  can  be  sneered  at  with  impunity  as 
'foreigners'  and  'Romanists.'  Happily  that  vicious  and  mischievous  spirit  and 
temper  has  given  way  to  a  juster  appreciation  of  the  Catholic  church  in  all  that 
makes  for  the  welfare  of  society  and  of  the  country.  But  for  these  foreigners  where 
would  the  country  be  today?  They  have  peopled  and  developed  the  great  West, 
have  made  possible  the  stupendous  material  progress  we  see  on  every  hand,  and 
have  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  the  welfare  and  stability  of  our  institutions; 
and  in  this  I  include  of  course  all  European  nationalities  represented  in  the  tide 
of  immigration,  whether  Protestant  or  Catholic.  .  .  .  The  Catholic  church 
here,  as  elsewhere,  teaches  respect  for  authority,  obedience  to  law  and  the  due 
regard  for  property  rights  and  interests.  That  church  stands  inflexibly  for  the 
sanctity  and  inviolability  of  the  marriage  tie,  and  consistently  and  persistently 
denounces  the  infamy  of  our  abominable  divorce  system.  The  Catholic  church  is 
the  strict  guardian  of  the  home  and  the  family;  imposes  the  obligation  of  a  religious 
and  moral  training  for  the  youth,  and  Catholics  willingly  assume  the  heavy  burden 
which  this  duty  involves.  The  church  champions  the  cause  of  the  poor  against 
the  injustice  and  exactions  of  capital,  and  while  it  pleads  for  right  and  justice  in 
this  regard,  it  equally  insists  on  peace  and  order. 

THE     POWER    FOR    GOOD 

"Thoughtful  and  conservative  non-Catholics  everywhere  begin  to  see  and  to 
acknowledge  the  influence  and  power  for  good  exerted  by  the  Catholic  church 
through  its  religious  teaching  and  principles,  and  by  the  force  of  its  potential 
organization.  I  could  multiply  notable  examples  and  testimonies  to  demonstrate 
my  assertion  from  the  declarations  of  public  men,  and  from  notable  writers  and 
preachers,  but  the  limit  to  which  I  must  adhere  will  not  admit  of  quotation  from 
these  sources  and  authorities. 

"If  I  have  referred  to  the  value  and  importance  of  the  great  foreign  conti- 
gent  in  our  population  and  what  the  country  owes  to  this  tide  of  immigration,  I 
am  no  less  conscious  of  what  the  foreigner  owes  to  America.  For  him  and  for 
them  it  has  proved  to  be,  indeed,  the  Promised  Land!  America  has  given  in  the 
past  generation  welcome  to  all  comers,  no  matter  how  poor  and  forlorn  their  con- 
dition. It  has  opened  the  gates  of  opportunity  to  the  immigrant  from  every  coun- 
try who  sought  the  privileges  of  this  hospitable  land.  .  .  .  Loyalty  and  de- 
votion to  this  republic,  its  institution,  its  laws,  and  its  flag  is  an  essential  and  per- 
emptory duty  for  every  citizen,  but  especially  for  those  who  have  sought  its 
shelter  and  protection  coming  from  other  countries,  and  who  are  enabled  to  share 
its  privileges  and  take  advantage  of  and  enjoy  its  beneficent  opportunities. 

MEMORIES    OF    OLD    ST.    MARY*8 

"Dear  Old  St.  Mary's!  How  many  precious  and  hallowed  associations  are 
recalled  to  mind  bv  the  mention  of  the  old  time  church — memories  and  associa- 


382  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

tions  of  earlier  years,  of  friendships  and  companionships  formed  in  the  days  when 
these  ties  seemed  truer  and  kindlier  and  more  enduring  than  those  formed  in  later 
years !  .  .  . 

"Many  present  tonight  were  no  doubt  confirmed  in  the  old  church  by  one  or 
another  of  the  early  bishops.  And  before  the  altar  of  that  dear  old  cathedral  how 
many  are  present  who,  like  myself,  look  back  with  interest  to  the  joyful  day  when 
they  pledged  vows  of  love  and  fidelity  to  a  dear  one  who  was  to  be  thenceforward 
a  devoted  companion  for  life — the  light  and  joy  of  a  happy  home  through  all  the 
coming  years.  Yes,  there  are  gracious  and  tender  memories  associated  with  dear 
Old  St.  Mary's  which  touch  and  thrill  some  heart-strings  on  this  occasion.  Sadly 
and  reverently,  too,  we  recall  with  emotion  the  memory  of  the  friends  and  com- 
panions who  have  gone  before  us  to  the  eternal  shores,  who  were  associated  with 
the  old  church  in  earlier  days.  I  dare  not  trust  myself  to  recall  the  familiar  names 
and  gracious  memory  of  those  who  in  their  day  were  potential  figures  in  our 
Catholic  circle  and  activities. 

LATER    DAYS    OF    ITS    HISTORY 

"What  of  the  New  St.  Mary's  ?  You  all  know  its  history,  how  the  one-time  fash- 
ionable Plymouth  Congregational  church  was  purchased  by  Bishop  Foley  to  take 
the  place  of  the  Old  St.  Mary's  destroyed  in  the  great  fire.  You  can  recall  the 
succession  of  pastors  of  the  present  church  from  that  time  to  the  present. 

"It  was  a  fortunate  day  for  the  parish  when  the  archbishop  invited  the  Paulist 
Fathers  to  take  charge  of  St.  Mary's ;  more  than  this  it  was  a  happy  event  for  Catho- 
licity in  Chicago.  Placed  here  in  the  center  of  the  commercial  activities  of  this 
vast  population,  these  zealous  Fathers  have  the  opportunity  to  exert  a  powerful 
and  far-reaching  influence  for  good.  In  the  midst  of  the  bustle  and  confusion,  this 
church  stands  as  an  impressive  monitor  to  remind  the  multitude  that  there  are 
duties  in  our  daily  life  more  important  than  dollars;  that  there  is  a  hereafter  as 
well  as  a  present  life. 

THE   WORK   OF  THE    PAULIST  FATHERS 

"The  Paulist  Fathers  have  made  an  impressive  mark  already  in  the  Catholic 
history  of  the  country.  .  .  .  Like  other  religious  orders  the  mission  of  the 
Paulist  Fathers  is  to  save  souls,  to  make  the  truths  of  religion  better  known,  and 
to  this  end  they  employ  the  pulpit  and  the  press.  We  all  owe  a  debt  of  special 
gratitude  to  these  Fathers  for  what  they  have  done  in  the  cause  of  Catholic  litera- 
ture, to  promote  the  publication  of  high-class  Catholic  books  and  the  circulation  of 
admirable  magazines  and  periodicals. 

A     LOOK     INTO     THE     FUTURE 

"Twenty-five  years  hence  the  Catholics  of  Chicago  will  no  doubt  celebrate  in 
a  statelier  and  more  majestic  St.  Mary's,  in  a  still  greater  Chicago,  the  centenary 
of  that  first  church.  I  am  sure  the  preachers  and  orators  of  that  occasion  will 
recall,  as  we  do,  the  memory  of  the  earlier  Catholic  Pioneers — the  faithful  and  loyal 
Catholics  who  built  that  first  little  frame  church  in  the  early  Chicago,  and  the  men 
and  women  who  labored  in  the  later  times  to  uphold  the  standard  of  the  faith, 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  383 

often  amid  trials  and  difficulties,  and  were  themselves  steadfast  to  religion  and 
.duty.  Those  of  the  future  time  will,  I  am  sure,  pay  to  those  who  bore  the  heat 
and  burden  of  the  day,  the  due  tribute  of  respect  and  homage. 

"It  has  been  my  privilege,  under  God's  favor,  to  have  witnessed  the  three  ju- 
jbilees  of  St.  Mary's,  those  of  1858,  of  1883,  and  of  1908.  The  first  of  these  was 
not,  as  well  as  I  can  recall,  formally  celebrated.  In  the  last  two  I  have  the  honor 
to  have  had  part  and  voice.  I  can  scarcely  indulge  the  expectation  of  having  part 
in  the  centenary.  Who  can  prophesy  how  great  and  powerful  the  Catholic  church 
will  be  in  the  greater  Chicago  in  1933 — then,  as  in  the  past,  faithful  to  her  God- 
given  mission,  the  savior  of  society,  the  benefactor  of  mankind,  the  church  that 
(teaches  men  how  to  live  and  shows  them  how  to  die !" 

PASTORS  OF  ST.   MARY'S 

From  the  period  of  its  organization  to  the  present  time,  the  pastors  of  St.  Mary's 
jhave  been  as  follows: 

1833  to  1839— Rev.  J.  M.  I.  St.  Cyr. 

1840  to  1841 — Rev.  James  O'Meara. 

1842  to  1844 — Rev.  Maurice  de  St.  Palais. 

1845  to  1850— Rev.  William  J.  Quarter. 

1851 — Rev.  P.  J.  Donahue. 

1852 — Rev.  -      -  Fitzgerald. 

1853  to  1854 — Rev.  P.   T.   McElhearne. 

1855  to  1856— Rev.  Matthew  Dillon. 

1857 — Rev.  J.  Larkin. 

1858  to  1861— Rev.  T.  J.  Butler. 

1862  to  1863 — Rev.  Dr.  McMullen. 

1 864  to  1871— Rev.  T.   J.   Halligan. 

1 872 — Rev.  Edward  Gavin. 

1873  to   1877— Rev.  P.  M.  Noonan. 

1878  to  1889 — Rev.  Joseph  P.  Roles. 

1890  to  1903— Rev.  E.  A.  Murphy. 

1903  to  1910 — Paulist  Fathers. 

THE    LAETARE    MEDAL 

A  brief  history  of  the  institution  of  the  Leetare  Medal  and  a  description  of  the 
medal  itself  will  here  be  given.  The  medal  is  conferred  annually  by  the  Faculty 
of  the  University  of  Notre  Dame  as  a  tangible  mark  of  honor  that  shall  bear  wit- 
ness to  its  recipient  of  the  approbation  and  sympathy  of  Notre  Dame.  It  was 
settled  in  the  beginning  that  the  honor  should  be  conferred  on  Lffitare  Sunday,  and 
that  the  material  symbol  should  be  a  gold  medal  and  an  address. 

The  custom  of  awarding  the  Leetare  Medal  was  inaugurated  at  Notre  Dame  in 
1883,  when  the  faculty  decided  that  a  medal  should  be  given  each  year  to  some 
member  of  the  Catholic  laity  distinguished  for  furthering  the  interests  of  morality, 
education,  and  citizenship.  The  practice  was  inspired,  no  doubt,  by  a  similar 
custom  which  has  prevailed  in  Europe  since  the  thirteenth  century;  instituted  by 
the  popes,  who  each  year  give  a  golden  rose,  blessed  by  the  Pontiff,  to  some  Enro- 


384  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

pean  whose  services  to  religion  or  humanity  were  deemed  worthy  of  recognition. 
The  rose  is  blessed  on  the  Mid-Sunday  of  Lent,  and  its  presentation  is  accompanied 
by  a  benediction  which  in  early  times  was  conveyed  in  the  following  form:  "Re- 
ceive from  our  hands  this  rose,  beloved  son,  who,  according  to  the  world,  art  noble, 
valiant  and  endowed  with  great  prowess,  that  you  may  be  still  more  ennobled  by 
every  virtue  from  Christ,  as  a  rose  planted  near  the  streams  of  many  waters;  and 
may  this  grace  be  bestowed  on  you  in  the  overflowing  clemency  of  Him  who  liveth 
and  reigneth,  world  without  end." 

SIGNIFICATION    OF    THE    NAME 

The  medal  derives  its  name  from  the  day  on  which  it  is  bestowed,  Lsetare  Sun- 
day,— so  called  because  the  Introit  of  the  Mass  for  that  day  begins  with  the  word, 
Lsetare,  meaning  "Rejoice."  This  day  was  selected  in  accordance  with  the  Euro- 
pean custom,  as  the  purpose  to  be  attained  in  both  cases  is  nearly  identical.  The 
medal  itself  is  of  gold,  and  is  of  artistic  design  and  finished  workmanship.  The 
bar  from  which  the  disc  is  suspended  is  lettered  "Laetare  Medal,"  and  the  inscrip- 
tion: "Magna  est  veritas  et  prcevalebit — Truth  is  mighty  and  shall  prevail,"  ap- 
pears on  the  face  of  the  disc.  Upon  the  reverse  side,  the  names  of  the  University 
and  the  recipient  are  inscribed.  The  address  presented  with  the  medal  is  painted 
and  printed  on  silk,  and  is  a  record  of  the  special  reasons  for  which  the  person  has 
been  chosen. 

Doctor  John  Gilmary  Shea,  the  historian,  was  the  first  to  be  honored  with  the 
distinction,  and  the  names  of  the  subsequent  recipients  represent  the  very  flower 
of  the  American  Catholic  laity,  as  is  evident  from  the  following  list: — Patrick  J. 
Keeley,  architect;  Eliza  Allen  Starr,  art  critic;  Gen.  John  Newton,  civil  engineer; 
Patrick  V.  Hickey,  editor;  Anna  Hanson  Dorsey,  novelist;  William  J.  Onahan, 
publicist;  Daniel  Dougherty,  orator;  Major  Henry  W.  F.  Brownson,  soldier  and 
scholar;  Patrick  Donahoe,  editor;  Augustin  Daly,  theatrical  manager;  Anna  T. 
Sadlier,  author;  William  Starke  Rosecrans,  soldier;  Doctor  Thomas  A.  Emmet, 
physician;  Hon.  Timothy  Howard,  jurist;  Mary  Gwendolen  Caldwell,  philan- 
thropist; John  A.  Creighton,  philanthropist;  William  Bourke  Cockran,  lawyer  and 
orator;  John  B.  Murphy,  surgeon;  Charles  J.  Bonaparte,  statesman;  Richard  C. 
Kerens,  philanthropist;  Thomas  B.  Fitzpatrick,  philanthropist;  Francis  Quinlan, 
surgeon;  Katherine  E.  Conway,  editor;  James  C.  Monaghan,  educator;  Mrs.  Frances 
Christine  Fisher  Tiernan,  writer;  Maurice  Francis  Egan,  United  States  Minister 
to  Denmark. 

One  of  the  conditions  of  the  bestowal  of  the  medal  is  that  the  favored  one  has 
no  intimation  of  the  honor  to  be  conferred  on  him  until  the  week  preceding  its 
public  announcement. 

MEDAL    CONFERRED    UPON    MR.    ONAHAN 

The  conferring  of  the  Laetare  Medal  upon  Mr.  Onahan  is  recorded  in  the 
"Notre  Dame  Scholastic,"  for  March  22,  1890;  as  follows:  "The  honor  which 
the  University  of  Notre  Dame  confers  each  year  on  a  distinguished  Catholic  Amer- 
ican was  this  year  sent  to  William  J.  Onahan,  of  Chicago.  The  choice  of  the 
Trustees  and  Faculty  of  the  University  was,  when  announced,  enthusiastically  en- 
dorsed, and  by  no  persons  more  earnestly  than  by  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Feehan 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  385 

and  the  many  friends  of  Mr.  Onahan  among  the  prelates.  On  Leetare  Sunday,  the 
Rev.  J.  A.  Zam,  Vice-President  of  the  University,  and  Dr.  M.  F.  Egan,  Professor 
of  English  Literature,  arrived  at  Mr.  Onahan's  house  in  Chicago,  about  five  o'clock, 
with  Oregon's  exquisitely  painted  address.  They  found  Mr.  Onahan,  his  private 
secretary,  Mr.  Duffy,  and  Mrs.  and  Miss  Onahan  at  home,  but  with  only  a  vague 
idea  of  what  was  to  take  place.  Shortly  afterwards,  the  Rev.  E.  A.  Higgins,  S. 
J.,  and  Rev.  J.  M.  Hayes  arrived.  Father  Higgins  acted  as  special  delegate  for 
the  Archbishop,  and  presented  the  medal,  after  Dr.  Egan  had  read  the  address,  in 
a  few  eloquent  and  well-chosen  words.  Mr.  Onahan  was  much  affected.  'It 
humiliates  me,'  he  said,  'to  receive  such  an  honor,  which  recalls  to  me  what  I 
ought  to  have  done,  not  what  I  have  done.'  "  Sir  Launfal,  at  the  end  of  his  "Quest 
for  the  Holy  Grail,"  could  have  given  no  more  characteristic  expression  of  true 
Christian  humility. 

REQUIREMENTS    OF    THE     MEDALISTS 

"It  is  a  cardinal  principle  at  Notre  Dame,"  says  a  writer  in  the  "Notre  Dame 
Scholastic,"  for  March  16,  1901,  from  whom  we  have  already  largely  quoted,  'that 
to  be  a  good  Catholic  a  man  must  be  a  good  citizen.  The  part  that  anyone  takes 
in  public  affairs  is,  of  course,  largely  determined  by  his  environments  and  ability. 
If  these  are  favorable  to  an  active  participation  in  public  matters  he  is  bound  in 
duty  not  to  hold  aloof.  An  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  municipality  or  nation, 
however,  is  certain  to  beget  criticism  both  favorable  and  adverse.  But  adverse 
criticism  does  not  signify,  by  any  means,  that  the  one  criticised  is  wrong.  The 
fundamental  consideration  is,  honesty  of  purpose;  and  if  that  is  indubitable,  the 
civic  honor  is  untarnished.  .  .  .  Men  and  women  have  been  honored,  and  the 
number  of  vocations  is  increased  with  the  addition  of  nearly  every  name.  Birth, 
social  position,  wealth,  have  received  absolutely  no  consideration  in  the  selection 
of  the  Lsetare  Medalists.  There  is  only  one  requirement,  but  that  is  absolute — 
worth." 

THE    FIRST    PRESBYTERIAN     CHURCH 

On  June  26,  1833,  Reverend  Jeremiah  Porter  organized  the  First  Presbyterian 
church  at  Chicago,  with  twenty-six  members.  Mr.  Porter  was  an  army  chaplain 
and  had  come  to  Fort  Dearborn  with  troops  from  Fort  Brady  (Sault  Ste.  Marie), 
in  May,  1833.  The  Home  Mission  Society  of  the  Presbyterian  church  had  already 
requested  Mr.  Porter  to  see  if  there  were  any  settlements  on  the  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan  where  the  gospel  might  be  preached. 

Major  John  Fowle,  in  command  of  the  troops  from  Fort  Brady,  had  arrived 
in  a  schooner  on  the  12th  of  May,  but  owing  to  the  roughness  of  the  lake  the 
troops  and  others  did  not  land  until  the  next  day.  On  the  morning  of  the  fol- 
lowing Sunday,  the  19th,  Mr.  Porter  preached  a  sermon  in  the  fort,  and  in  the 
afternoon  in  Father  Jesse  Walker's  log  house,  at  Wolf  Point.  Mr.  Porter,  in 
his  journal,  writes:  "The  first  dreadful  spectacle  that  met  my  eyes  on  going  to 
church  was  a  group  of  Indians  sitting  on  the  ground  before  a  miserable  French 
dramshop,  playing  cards,  and  as  many  trifling  white  men  standing  around  to  wit- 
ness the  game."7 

"  Andreas:   "History  of  Chicago,"  Vol.  I,  p.  300. 
Vol.  I— 25 


386  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

A  BUILDING  PROVIDED 

After  the  organization  of  the  church  regular  services  were  held  in  the  log  house 
at  "the  Point,"  that  is,  Wolf  Point.  Measures  were  soon  taken  to  erect  a  church 
edifice  for  the  use  of  the  society.  A  lot  was  chosen  on  the  west  side  of  Clark  street 
between  South  Water  and  Lake  streets,  just  north  of  the  Sherman  House.  This 
was  described  as  "a  lonely  spot,  almost  inaccessible,  on  account  of  surrounding 
sloughs  and  bogs."  8  On  this  lot  was  erected  a  frame  building  about  twenty-five 
by  thirty-five  feet  in  size,  the  cost  of  which  was  six  hundred  dollars.  This  church 
was  dedicated  January  4,  1834,  and  notwithstanding  the  severity  of  the  weather, 
the  thermometer  showing  twenty-four  degrees  below  zero,  a  fair  congregation 
was  assembled,  and  the  sermon  was  preached  by  Mr.  Porter.  The  Chicago  Demo- 
crat of  January  21,  1834,  gives  an  account  of  the  exercises,  with  a  portion  of 
the  discourse.  The  editor  says  that  Mr.  Porter  "descanted  very  ably  on  the  im- 
portance of  houses  for  public  worship,"  and  then  "proceeded,  with  great  clear- 
ness and  beauty,  to  contrast  the  present  and  past  conditions  of  this  rapidly  ris- 
ing village.  'But  recently,'  said  the  preacher,  'these  fields  and  floods,  fair  as  the 
first  finished  work  of  nature,  were  claimed  as  the  rightful  inheritance  of  the  rov- 
ing savage.  .  .  .  Here  then  were  witnessed  but  heathen  rites  and  sports. 
.  .  .  No  Sabbath  then  was  known,  no  day  of  sacred  rest. 

"  'But  now,  how  changed !'  exclaimed  the  preacher.  'The  untutored  native, 
an  enemy  in  war,  a  friend  in  peace,  has  yielded  all  his  claims  to  his  more  power- 
ful friends.  He  has  retired  before  the  tide  of  emigration.  A  town  has  risen  like 
magic  on  the  soil  where  recently  he  danced,  the  only  occupant.  These  fields  that 
echoed  the  war-whoop  and  yell  now  hear  the  voice  of  prayer  and  praise  to  the 
living  God.  Instead  of  rites  offered  to  unknown  gods  and  devils,  now  the  Sab- 
bath, as  it  returns  weekly,  sees  a  solemn  assembly  gathered  to  hear  what  God  the 
Lord  shall  speak.  The  substantial  dwelling  and  the  delightful  family  altar  have 
taken  the  place  of  the  comfortless  lodge,  from  which  issued  the  voice  of  drunken 
mirth  and  senseless  revelry.'  "  9 

The  reverend  speaker  then  continued  his  discourse  seasoned  with  appropriate 
quotations  from  the  Scriptures,  and  towards  its  close  he  uttered  this  solemn  warn- 
ing: "How  glorious  is  the  prospect  of  this  town,  if  the  people  will  hear  and 
obey  the  commandments  of  the  Lord.  It  shall  stand  beautiful  for  situation  a  joy 
and  rejoicing,  while  the  sun  and  moon  shall  endure.  But  if  they  refuse  and  rebel, 
and  covet  the  luxuries  and  crimes  of  the  cities  whose  names  only  stand  on  the 
page  of  history,  it  shall  fall  like  Babylon."  10 

GOING    TO    CHURCH    IN     1834 

Until  this  house  of  worship  was  completed  the  Methodists,  Baptists  and 
Presbyterians  held  their  regular  services  in  a  small  frame  building  erected  by  the 
Baptists  at  the  corner  of  Franklin  and  South  Water  streets.  Though  the  house 
built  by  the  Baptists  was  also  used  as  a  schoolhouse,  its  main  purpose  was  the 
holding  of  religious  services,  and  therefore  it  antedated  the  church  built  by  the 

8Hurlbut:    "Chicago  Antiquities,"  p.  609. 
8  Ibid.,  p.  613. 
10  Ibid.,  p.  614. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  387 

Presbyterians.  "Those  were  the  days  of  brotherly  love/'  said  a  letter  writer  in 
recalling  old  times.11  When  a  church  had  to  be  built  nearly  all  the  inhabitants 
lent  willing  aid.  A  difference  of  creeds  in  those  days  was  no  barrier  to  giving 
assistance  either  in  money  or  labor. 

When  attending  services  the  church-going  people  encountered  difficulties  which 
the  letter  writer  above  referred  to,  in  speaking  of  the  Presbyterian  church  on 
Clark  street,  describes  as  follows:  "The  approaches  to  the  building,  for  some 
months  after  its  completion,  were  rather  miry,  nor  was  there  any  bridge  over 
the  river  in  those  early  days."  (A  bridge  was  built  however  about  that  time  at 
Dearborn  street.)  "Those  pious  worshippers,  who  came  over  from  the  'North- 
ern Liberties'  braved  the  angry  flood  in  a  canoe.  That  famous  ferry  which  was 
ordered  by  the  united  wisdom  of  the  County  Commissioners'  Court,  to  be  kept 
running  'from  daylight  to  dark  without  stopping,'  was  located  too  far  up  the 
stream  to  be  available. 

"After  escaping  the  'perils  of  the  deep,'  and  clambering  up  the  muddy  bank, 
they  renewed  their  courage  for  the  passage  of  'Dole's  Corner'  on  a  round  stick 
of  timber,  over  a  pool  of  very  ambiguous  depth,  to  the  fence  of  a  certain  yellow 
house,  then  known  as  Dr.  Goodhue's  office,  after  which,  by  skilfully  meandering 
fences,  a  certain  bridge,  made  by  spare  seats,  was  reached,  and  thence  to  the  door 
of  the  sanctuary."  The  singing  was  led  by  one  Sergeant  Burtiss,  from  the  garri- 
son. Indeed  a  large  part  of  the  membership  of  the  church  was  recruited  from 
the  military  people.  "Since  those  days,"  continues  our  humorous  letter  writer 
(who  sent  his  communication  to  the  Democratic  Press  in  the  "fifties,"  but  whose 
name  has  not  been  preserved),  "this  building  has  traveled,  and  lost  its  identity 
in  accummulations  to  its  bulk.  The  carpenter's  saw  and  hammer,  have,  of  late 
years,  been  the  only  music  therein,  where  Burtiss  used  to  lead."  12 

(GROWTH  OP  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 
The  church  grew  rapidly  from  the  first,  so  that  at  the  time  Mr.  Porter  left 
it,  in  1835,  it  had  one  hundred  members.  There  was  considerable  difficulty  in 
finding  a  successor  to  Mr.  Porter,  who  had  accepted  a  call  to  Peoria  in  the  fall 
of  1835,  and  several  clergymen,  then  resident  in  the  East,  were  invited  to  take 
charge  of  the  church.  Dr.  Joel  Hawes,  of  Hartford,  Connecticut,  was  one  of 
these.  He  took  the  letter  he  received  to  a  member  of  his  congregation,  with  the 
remark,  "I've  got  a  letter  from  some  place  out  west,  called  Chicago,  asking  me 
to  come  there  and  preach.  Can  you  tell  me  where  it  is?"  Upon  being  informed 
that  it  was  in  a  great  swamp  west  of  Lake  Michigan,  he  decided  to  remain  in 
Connecticut.1 3 

The  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church,  Reverend  Isaac  T.  Hinton,  acted  as  pastor 
of  the  Presbyterian  church  for  some  time  afterwards.  In  1837,  however,  Reverend 
John  Blatchford  was  installed  as  pastor,  and  remained  two  years.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Reverend  Flavtl  Bascom,  who  disapproved  of  the  location  of  the  church 
on  Clark  street,  saying  that  "it  was  too  far  out  on  the  prairie."  A  new  site  was 

"Hurlbut:  "Chicago  Antiquities,"   p.   615. 

12  Ibid.,   p.   615. 

13  Andreas:    "History  of  Chicago,"  I,  301. 


388  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 


found    at   the    southwest   corner    of    Clark   and    Washington    streets,   to    which    th 
church   building  was  removed  in   1843,   and  at  the   same  time   enlarged.      In    1849 
a  new  structure,  a  substantial   brick  building,  was  completed.     This   building  was 
occupied  up  to  the  time  of  the  Great  Fire  of  1871. 

Mr.  Bascom  remained  as  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  for  ten  years, 
removing  to  Galesburg,  Illinois,  in  1850.  He  was  succeeded  by  Reverend  Harvey 
Curtiss,  who  continued  in  charge  for  eight  years.  In  1859,  Reverend  Zephaniah 
M.  Humphrey  succeeded  to  the  pastorate,  and  remained  until  1868.  In  that  year 
he  was  succeeded  by  Reverend  Arthur  Mitchell. 

THE     BAPTIST     CHURCH 

The  first  Baptist  church  was  organized  October  19,  1833,  with  nineteen  mem- 
bers, by  Reverend  Allen  B.  Freeman.  A  building  had  already  been  erected  by 
the  Baptists  before  the  organization  of  the  society,  through  the  efforts  of  Dr 
John  T.  Temple,  who  had  raised  the  necessary  funds  by  subscription.  This! 
building  was  situated  near  the  corner  of  Franklin  and  South  Water  streets;  it  was 
a  two-story  frame  structure,  the  upper  story  for  school,  the  lower  for  religious 
purposes,  and  cost  about  nine  hundred  dollars.  It  was  known  as  the  "Temple 
Building,"  and  was  used  by  the  Methodists,  Presbyterians  and  Baptists  alike  un- 
til the  Presbyterian  church  was  ready  for  occupancy. 

The  Reverend  Mr.  Freeman  was  an  earnest  and  efficient  laborer,  and,  besides] 
the  church  in  Chicago,  organized  four  others  in  neighboring  districts.  He  died  j 
December  15,  1834,  and  was  buried  on  the  West  Side  near  the  North  Branch  at] 
Indiana  street,  in  a  little  burial  ground  surrounded  by  a  picket  fence.  "The  lit- 
tle enclosure  was  a  prominent  object,"  said  one  writing  to  the  newspaper  in  later 
years,  "on  the  otherwise  unoccupied  and  open  prairie,  up  to  1 840  or  later."  J  4 

During  the  year  1885  Reverend  Isaac  T.  Hinton  became  the  pastor  of  the 
Baptist  church.  He  was  an  able  and  highly-esteemed  preacher,  a  warm-hearted 
and  genial  man.  John  Wentworth,  who  came  to  Chicago  in  1836,  describes  him] 
as  "an  original."  "Unlike  clergymen  now  called  sensational,"  says  Wentworth,  • 
"he  never  quoted  poetry  nor  told  anecdotes  nor  used  slang  phrases  for  the  pur- 
pose of  creating  a  laugh.  .  .  .  He  was  a  man  who  never  seemed  so  happy  as 
when  he  was  immersing  converted  sinners  in  our  frozen  river  or  lake.  It  is  saidj 
of  his  converts  that  no  one  of  them  was  ever  known  to  be  a  back-slider.  If  youj 
could  see  the  cakes  of  ice  that  were  raked  out  to  make  room  for  baptismal  serv-j 
ices,  you  would  make  up  your  mind  that  no  man  would  join  a  church  under  such  I 
circumstances  unless  he  joined  to  stay. 

"Immersions   were  no   uncommon   thing  in   those   days.      One  cold  day   about 
the  first  part  of  February,  1839,  there  were  seventeen  immersed  in  the  river  atl 
the  foot  of  State  street.     A  hole  about  twenty  feet  square  was  cut  through  the] 
ice,  and  a  platform  was  sunk,  with  one  end  resting  upon  the  shore.     .     .     .     But] 
recently  our  Baptist  friends  have  made  up  their  minds  that  our  lake  has  enough 
to  do  to  carry  away  all  the  sewerage  of  the  city,  without  washing  off  the  sins  of  I 
the  people."  1B 

"Andreas:    I,  316. 

16  Fergus:  No.  7,  p.  43. 


THE  SECOND  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  AS  IT  APPEARED 
BEFORE  THE  FIRE 

It  was  situated  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Wabash  Avenue  and 
Washington  Street 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  389 

In  the  year  1844,,  a  brick  edifice  was  constructed  at  the  southeast  corner  of 
Washington  and  La  Salle  streets,  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  building,  for  the  use  of  the  Baptists,  at  a  cost  of  forty-five  hundred 
dollars.  This  building  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1852,  but  no  time  was  lost  in  pro- 
viding a  new  structure  on  the  same  site  which  was  dedicated  November  12,  1853. 
The  .  new  building  cost  thirty  thousand  dollars  -  and  was  a  handsome  and  com- 
modious church  edifice  ornamented  with  a  tall  spire,  a  familiar  object  in  the 
pictures  of  Chicago  as  seen  from  the  courthouse  tower  in  Hosier's  famous  photo- 
graphs. In  1864,  this  building  was  taken  down  and  removed  piecemeal,  and  re- 
erected  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Monroe  and  Morgan  streets  on  the  West  Side, 
where  it  became  known  as  the  Second  Baptist  church,  the  First  church  finding 
a  new  location  at  the  corner  of  Wabash  avenue  and  Hubbard  court.  The  Second 
Baptist  edifice  still  stands  at  this  time  fulfilling  the  purposes  for  which  it  was 
erected.  The  First  Baptist  escaped  the  great  fire  of  1871,  but  was  destroyed  by 
fire  in  July,  1874.  Another  building  was  erected  in  1876,  at  the  corner  of  Thirty- 
First  street  and  South  Park  avenue,  which  remains  in  use  at  the  present  time. 

The  pastors  of  the  Baptist  church  were: 
1833  to  1834— Rev.  Allen    B.    Freeman. 
1835  to  1841— Rev.  Isaac  T.  Hinton. 

1842  to  1843— Rev.  Charles  B.  Smith. 

1843  to  1845— Rev.  E.  H.  Hamlin. 
1845  to  1847— Rev.  Miles  Sanford. 

1847  to  1848 — Rev.  Luther  Stone. 

1848  to  1851— Rev.  Elisha  Tucker,  D.D. 
1852  to  1856— Rev.  John  C.  Burroughs,  D.D. 
1856  to  1859 — Rev.  W.  G.  Howard,  D.D. 
1859  to  1879— Rev.  William  W.  Everts,  D.D. 
1879  to  1881 — Rev.  George  C.  Lorimer,  D.D. 
1882  to  1901—  Rev.  Poindexter  S.   Henson,  D.D. 
1903— Rev.  Austen  K.  de  Blois,  D.D. 

THE     METHODIST     CHURCH 

The  first  Methodist  church  building  was  erected  in  1834.  It  was  located  on 
the  North  Side,  at  the  corner  of  North  Clark  and  North  Water  streets,  mistaken 
prophets  having  foretold  that  the  town  was  to  be  there.  The  contract  for  its  con- 
struction was  signed  on  June  30,  1834,10  which  provided  for  a  frame  building 
twenty-six  by  thirty-eight  feet  in  size,  posts  twelve  feet  high,  a  sheeted  and 
shingle  roof,  seats  with  broad  backs,  a  neat  pulpit,  a  platform  for  a  table  and 
chairs,  with  "a  rail  of  separation  down  the  middle."  The  cost  was  to  be  five 
hundred  and  eighty  dollars. 

Before  the  construction  of  this  church,  mission  services  had  been  held  in  the 
Reverend  Jesse  Walker's  double  log  house,  at  Wolf  Point,  and  at  John  Watkins' 
schoolhouse,  on  the  North  Side.  Walker  had  been  appointed  by  the  Illinois  Meth- 
odist Conference  as  superintendent  of  "the  mission  work  from  Peoria  to  Chi- 
cago," and  the  Reverend  Stephen  R.  Beggs,  of  Plainfield,  was  associated  with 
him  in  this  work. 

"Blanchard:    "Northwest  and   Chicago"    (Ed.   1881),  p.   646. 


390  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

After  the  completion  of  the  church  on  the  North  Side  the  Reverend  Peter 
R.  Borein  carried  on  a  successful  work  and  brought  the  membership  up  to  the 
number  of  ninety.17  Borein  is  thus  described  by  Grant  Goodrich:  "As  an  ef- 
fective preacher,  I  have  never  heard  his  equal.  I  have  heard  men  of  more  varied 
learning,  of  more  brilliancy  and  depth  of  thought,  and  more  polished  diction,  but 
none  of  that  moving,  winning  power  that  seized  the  heart,  wrought  conviction 
and  made  his  hearers  willing  captives."18  In  the  year  1835,  the  Society  was  in- 
corporated as  the  "Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Chicago."19 

The  North  Side  was  then  struggling  for  supremacy.  Many  of  the  finest 
buildings  in  the  new  town  were  erected  here,  and  it  seemed  as  though  the  main 
business  portion  would  here  be  established.  The  ground  was  higher  and  drier, 
and  the  naturally  wooded  surface  presented  a  more  attractive  appearance  than  the 
low  and  level  stretch  of  prairie  on  the  South  Side.  However,  the  business  in- 
terests continued  to  favor  the  south  bank  of  the  river  in  an  increasing  degree  and 
the  abandoned  stores  and  hotels  were  evidence  of  the  change  which  has  since  taken 
place. 

CHURCH    MOVED    TO   THE    SOUTH    SIDE 

In  the  year  1836  the  society  secured  land  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Clark 
and  Washington  streets,  at  first  under  an  agreement  to  purchase;  later  this  land 
was  given  to  the  society  by  the  Canal  Commissioners.20  The  building  that  had 
been  in  use  on  the  North  Side  was  removed,  in  1838,  to  the  new  location,  the 
removal  across  the  river  being  effected  by  the  use  of  scows.  Although  consider- 
ably enlarged  after  its  arrival,  it  was  found  necessary  in  1843  to  erect  a  new 
building.  This  was  done  at  a  cost  of  twelve  thousand  dollars.  The  new  build- 
ing was  sixty-eight  by  ninety-five  feet,  with  a  stone  basement  eight  feet  in  height 
and  walls  thirty  feet  high.  The  spire  was  one  hundred  and  forty-eight  feet  in 
height  and  the  auditorium  seated  one  thousand  persons.21  The  Reverend  Hooper 
Crews  was  pastor  of  the  congregation  in  1840,  Nathaniel  P.  Cunningham  in  1842, 
and  William  M.  D.  Ryan  in  1844. 

The  system  known  as  the  itinerancy,  as  practiced  in  the  Methodist  church, 
accounts  for  the  greater  frequency  of  pastors  in  that  denomination  than  in  that 
of  others.  John  Wesley  said  ."We  have  found  by  long  and  consistent  experience 
that  a  frequent  exchange  of  teachers  is  best.  This  preacher  has  one  talent,  that 
another;  no  one  whom  I  ever  yet  knew  has  all  the  talents  which  are  needful  for 
beginning,  continuing  and  perfecting  the  work  of  grace  in  a  whole  congregation." 

"While  this  itinerancy  has  its  disadvantages,"  said  Bishop  Matthew  Simpson, 
in  his  "Cyclopaedia  of  Methodism,"  "in  the  frequent  removal  of  preachers,  and 
in  the  breaking  up  of  associations  with  the  church,  it  has  the  advantage  of  remov- 
ing pastors  without  the  friction  which  frequently  occurs  in  other  churches."  Up 
to  the  year  1840,  Chicago  had  been  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Illinois  Con- 
ference, but  after  that  date  it  became  one  of  the  circuits  of  the  Rock  River  Con- 

17  Robinson:    "History  of  Rock  River  Conference,"  p.  47. 
is  Ibid.,  p.  47- 

19  Andreas:    "History  of  Chicago,"  I,  326. 

20  Gale:    "Reminiscences,"  p.  359. 

21  Andreas:    "History  of  Chicago,"  I,  326. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  391 

ference  which  had  been  formed  in  that  year.  In  the  year  1857,  an  act  of  the 
Legislature  was  approved  changing  the  name  of  the  society  to  the  "First  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  of  Chicago,"  though  it  came  to  be  popularly  known  as 
the  "Clark  Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church." 

METHODIST    CHURCH    BLOCK 

The  building  erected  in  1843,  was  found  to  be  inadequate  to  the  growing 
needs  of  the  society,  and  in  1858  it  was  determined  to  build  a  block  in  which 
there  should  be  stores  and  offices  to  rent,  as  well  as  an  auditorium  for  the  use 
of  the  congregation.  This  form  of  church  structure  has  become  a  distinct  pecul- 
iarity of  this  society,  and  its  policy  in  this  respect  has  resulted  in  making  it  into 
one  of  the  best  income  producers  of  any  institution  of  the  church.  The  Meth- 
odist church  block  was  erected,  in  1858,  on  this  plan,  and  an  auditorium  to  pro- 
vide a  seating  capacity  for  two  thousand  persons.  The  block  cost  seventy  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  at  once  an  income  was  provided  which  not  only  supported  the 
society  itself,  but  enabled  it  to  extend  aid  to  its  sister  churches  in  the  denomina- 
tion. 

The  progress  made  by  the  early  churches  in  the  first  few  years  of  their  ex- 
istence is  very  impressive,  and  indicates  in  a  forcible  manner  the  moral  and  relig- 
ous  growth  of  the  city.  Here  we  see  a  church,  within  ten  years  of  its  chrysalis 
state  as  a  station  in  the  "mission  work  from  Peoria  to  Chicago,"  in  a  community 
just  emerging  from  a  village  to  a  city,  expending  twelve  thousand  dollars  for  a 
building  in  which  to  seat  one  thousand  persons;  and  in  fifteen  years  thereafter 
its  growth  was  so  great  that  a  structure  costing  seventy  thousand  dollars,  with  a 
seating  capacity  of  two  thousand,  took  its  place;  and  all  this  besides  assisting  new 
societies  in  their  work  as  the  city  expanded. 

The  Methodist  church  block  was  entirely  destroyed  in  the  Great  Fire  of  1871, 
but  the  next  year  another  took  its  place  on  still  larger  lines,  at  a  cost  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  thousand  dollars.  Up  to  1910  the  First  Methodist  church  had 
contributed  seven  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  from  its  income  in 
aid  of  other  churches. 

NAMES     OF     PASTORS 

The  pastors  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  since  its  beginning  in 
1834,  have  been  as  follows: 

1834 — Jesse  Walker. 

1835— John  T.  Mitchell. 

1836— Otis    F.   Curtis. 

1837 — Peter   R.   Borein. 

1839 — Sempbronius  H.   Stocking. 

1840 — Hooper  Crews. 

1842 — Nathaniel   P.   Cunningham. 

1843 — Luke  Hitchcock. 

1844 — Win.   M.  D.   Ryan. 

1 846— Chauncey  Hobart. 

1847 — Philo  Judson. 


392  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

1848 — Richard  Haney. 
1850 — Stephen  P.  Keyes. 
1852 — John  Clark. 
1854 — Hooper  Crews. 
1856 — James  Baume. 
1858— William  F.  Stewart. 
1860— Otis   H.   Tiffany. 
1863 — Chas.   H.   Fowler. 
1866— William    C.    Dandy. 
1867 — John  A.  Gray. 
1869— William  H.   Daniels. 
1872 — Hiram  W.   Thomas. 
1875 — Samuel  A.   W.   Jewett. 
1876 — Matthew   M.    Parkhurst. 
1876 — William  A.  Spencer. 
1879 — John  Williamson. 
1882— Robert  M.  Hatfield. 
1885 — William  A.   Spencer. 
1886— Henry  W.  Bolton. 
1890 — William  Fawcett. 
1893 — H.  D.  Kimball. 
1897 — John  P.  Brushingham. 
1906 — Ernest  W.  Oneal. 

THE  "DIAMOND  JUBILEE  " 

The  First  Methodist  church  held  its  "Diamond  Jubilee"  in  November,  1910, 
celebrating  the  seventy-fifth  anniversary  of  its  organization.  In  the  "Souvenir 
Program"  is  printed  a  historical  sketch  of  the  church  which  is  an  interesting  sum- 
mary of  the  facts  previously  related  here,  and  with  some  additional  particulars.  It 
is  as  follows: 

"The  day  of  first  things  is  always  of  supreme  interest.  So  it  is  written  down 
here  that  the  first  Methodist  sermon  was  preached  in  Chicago  in  1828.  The  first 
Methodist  class  was  formed  early  in  1831  at  the  log  house  of  Wm.  See,  the  village 
blacksmith.  The  first  Methodist  church  was  organized  June  16,  1831,  by  Rev. 
Stephen  R.  Beggs,  .and  was  composed  of  ten  members.  The  first  Methodist  Watch 
Night  service  was  held  December  31,  1831.  The  first  Quarterly  Meeting  and  the 
first  Sacramental  Service  were  conducted  in  January,  1832.  The  first  Methodist 
Sunday  School  was  formed  in  1834.  The  first  Methodist  church  building  was  of 
logs,  and  was  put  up  in  1834  at  North  Water  and  Clark  streets,  at  a  cost  of  $580. 
In  1839  this  structure  was  moved  across  the  river  on  scows  to  the  lot  at  South 
Clark  and  Washington  streets,  which  is  still  owned  and  occupied  by  the  Society. 
In  1845  the  original  structure  was  replaced  by  a  brick  one  at  a  cost  of  $12,000.  In 
the  year  1857,  by  act  of  the  Legislature,  the  charter  was  enlarged  to  enable  the 
Society  to  erect  a  building  partially  for  commercial  purposes,  and  in  1858  a  com- 
posite building,  containing,  beside  auditorium,  stores  and. offices,  was  erected  at  a 
cost  of  $70,000.  In  1865  the  charter  was  again  amended  so  that  all  the  income, 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  393 

except  $1,000  and  parsonage  rent,  could  be  devoted  to  the  building  of  Methodist 
churches  in  the  city  of  Chicago.  The  structure  erected  in  1858  stood  until  swept 
away  by  fire  in  1871,  whereupon  the  present  one  was  erected  at  an  expense  of 
$130,000. 

"This  famous  old  church  has  been  one  of  the  great  influences  in  the  moral 
progress  and  development  of  Chicago  and  the  source  of  the  wonderful  progress 
and  strength  of  Methodism  in  the  city.  Many  converted  at  her  altars  have  come 
to  great  usefulness  and  influence  down  the  decades,  such  as  Abner  R.  Scranton,  the 
founder  of  Grace  church,  and  Mrs.  Eliza  Garrett,  the  benefactress  of  the  Institute 
which  bears  her  name,  beside  a  number  who  have  gone  into  the  work  of  the  ministry. 
Her  laymen  were  the  moving  spirits  in  the  establishment  of  the  Northwestern  Uni- 
versity and  Garrett  Biblical  Institute,  while  most  of  the  institutions  of  Methodism 
in  Cook  county  bear  the  mark  of  their  great  hearted  wisdom.  Such  men  as  George 
C.  Cook,  Grant  Goodrich,  Orrington  Lunt  and  Dr.  John  Evans,  can  never  die. 
'Embalmed  in  their  works  their  spirits  walk  abroad.'  The  names  and  deeds  of 
ministers  who  have  preached  from  this  historic  pulpit  and  prompted  to  and  as- 
sisted in  her  great  enterprises,  are  known  and  revered  throughout  the  land. 

"This  church  is  justly  called  'the  Mother  of  Chicago  Methodism,'  for  158  out 
of  214  churches  now  largely  owe  their  existence  to  her  generosity,  which  up  to  date 
figures  close  to  $725,000.  She  enjoys  the  preeminence  of  being  the  only  down- 
town church  within  the  'loop'  that  maintains  open  house  and  regular  church  serv- 
ices all  the  year  round.  Standing  where  she  was  placed  in  1839  at  that  corner 
'where  cross  the  crowded  ways  of  life,'  she  is  peculiarly  the  exponent  and  guardian 
of  evangelical  Christianity  at  the  center  of  this  great  city. 

"Her  Board  of  Trustees  is  especially  constituted  by  provision  of  her  charter, 
which  provides  for  nine  members,  and  requires  that  there  be  three  from  her  own 
membership,  three  from  Trinity  church,  and  three  from  Methodism  at  large  in 
Chicago.  These  men  have  always  been  prominent  and  active  leaders,  whose  names 
were  well  known  throughout  the  church.  Today  this  Board  is  composed  of  the 
following,  in  order  of  their  election  and  years  of  service:  Charles  Busby,  J.  S. 
Harvey,  Arthur  Dixon,  H.  A.  Goodrich,  J.  B.  Hobbs,  John  Johnston,  D.  C.  Alton, 
O.  H.  Horton,  M.  A.  Allen. 

"Because  of  the  gradual  extension  of  the  business  district  and  the  consequent 
pushing  back  and  out  of  the  homes  until  now  there  are  none  within  one  mile  in 
any  direction,  the  membership  has  necessarily  greatly  dwindled.  However  enough 
devoted  men  and  women  remain  to  officer  and  work  a  Sunday  School  that  enrolls 
325,  gathered  from  the  river  sections,  and  an  Epworth  League  and  a  Junior  League, 
which  live  and  serve  with  great  enthusiasm  and  blessing.  Conversions  and  baptisms 
are  not  unknown  nowadays  at  her  altar,  while  thousands  of  transients  every  year 
find  sanctuary  within  her  walls.  It  is  our  delight  to  give  special  mention  of  two 
men  whose  names  have  been  'plowed'  into  the  history  of  this  church  during  the  last 
forty-five  years.  And  absolutely  without  their  knowledge  we  honor  here  the  names 
of  Arthur  Dixon  and  Horace  A.  Goodrich.  Day  and  night,  year  in  and  year  out, 
they  have  given  their  lives  to  this  church.  And  whatever  of  sacrifice,  and  business 
sagacity,  and  integrity,  and  large  heartedness,  and  open  handedness  were  neces- 
sary to  make  First  Church  the  radiating  focus  of  untold  blessings,  these  men  have 
put  into  it." 


394  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

THE    OFFICIAL   ORGAN    OF    THE    METHODIST    CHURCH 

The  Northwestern  Christian  Advocate  issued  its  first  number  in  1853,  Reverend 
James  V.- Watson,  D;  D.,  being  the  first  editor.  He  died  in  1856,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Reverend  Thomas  M.  Eddy,  D.  D.  In  1864,  Reverend  Arthur  Ed- 
wards, D.  D.,  succeeded  Dr.  Edd_y,  and  continued  in  charge  until  his  death  in  1901. 
In  choosing  a  successor  to  Dr.  Edwards  the  usual  precedents  were  departed  from 
and  David  D.  Thompson,  a  layman,  was  chosen  editor  of  the  Northwestern.  Mr. 
Thompson  filled  the  editorial  chair  with  great  ability  until  1908,  when  he  met  an 
untimely  death  by  accident  on  November  10th  of  that  year.  Mr.  Thompson's  career 
is  an  unusually  interesting  one  and  a  sketch  of  his  life  is  appended  to  this  chapter. 
The  Reverend  Charles  M.  Stuart,  D.  D.,  became  his  successor  as  editor  in  charge 
of  the  Northwestern. 

SKETCH    OF    DAVID    D.    THOMPSON 

As  we  have  seen  from  the  previous  account,  Mr.  Thompson  was  editor  of  the 
Northwestern  Christian  Advocate  from  1901  to  1908.  Mr.  Thompson  was  born 
April  29,  1852,  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  from  his  boyhood  had  been  identified  with 
the  publishing  business.  In  the  early  '90s  he  came  to  Chicago  and  was  made  as- 
sistant editor  of  the  Northwestern  under  Dr.  Arthur  Edwards,  the  editor-in-chief. 
In  1901,  on  the  death  of  Dr.  Edwards,  he  was  chosen  to  the  editorship,  although 
a  layman.  Previously  only  regularly  ordained  ministers  of  the  Methodist  church 
had  held  that  position.  He  was  a  member  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
in  Evanston,  where  he  resided  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 

In  November,  1908,  he  went  to  St.  Louis  to  attend  the  sessions  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Society  of  the  church.  As  he  was  crossing  a  street  near  his  hotel  with 
an  umbrella  raised,  for  it  was  raining  at  the  time,  he  heard  the  signal  from  an 
approaching  automobile,  and  unfortunately  stepped  backwards.  The  driver  of  the 
machine  had  turned  towards  the  curb  to  avoid  a  collision,  but  this  movement  brought 
him  directly  in  front  of  the  automobile  which  struck  him  with  so  much  force  that 
he  was  carried  in  an  unconscious  state  to  the  hospital,  where  he  died  on  the  10th 
of  November,  1908. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  a  frequent  and  acceptable  visitor  at  the  White  House  in 
Washington,  where  he  was  invited  to  luncheon  on  several  occasions  with  Presi- 
dent Roosevelt  and  Secretary  Cortelyou,  and  conferred  on  subjects  in  which  they 
had  a  common  interest.  Mr.  Thompson  was  especially  interested  in  a  measure, 
introduced  in  Congress,  to  confer  medals  upon  E.  W.  Spencer,  now  living  at  Neenach, 
California,  and  Bishop  Joseph  C.  Hartzell,  who  as  young  men  had  performed  ef- 
ficient lifesaving  work  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan  near  Evanston,  when  the 
Lady  Elgin  and  other  vessels  were  wrecked  during  the  sixties.  At  the  time  of  the 
rescues  it  was  not  customary  to  give  official  recognition  for  such  services,  as  it  is  at 
the  present  day.  This  measure  had  the  warm  personal  support  of  the  President  and 
the  distinguished  Secretary  of  War;  but  up  to  the  present  time  the  measure  has 
failed  to  become  a  law. 

Mr.  Thompson  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  from  McKendree  College 
in  1903.  He  was  considered  one  of  the  greatest  laymen  of  the  Methodist  church. 


Original  owned  ny  Chicago  Historical  Society 

TKIXITY  cuntm 


PETER  CARTWRIGHT 


.MOST  REV.  JAMES  E.  QUIGLEY,  D.  D. 


JAMS®  (SNUB 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  395 

At  his  funeral  president-elect  Taft  sent  a  floral  offering,  and  many  heartfelt  trib- 
utes were  published  in  the  papers,  or  adopted  in  the  form  of  resolutions  by  various 
bodies.  In  the  memorial  service  at  St.  Louis  one  of  the  speakers  said  that  "this 
man's  influence  was  given  to  the  cause  that  lacked  assistance,  and  was  thrown 
steadily  against  the  wrongs  that  need  resistance." 

In  the  untimely  death  of  Dr.  Thompson  the  church  lost  a  valuable  worker,  and 
the  community  a  shining  example  of  moral  worth  and  of  eminent  religious  character. 

ST.    JAMES    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH 

The  first  brick  church  edifice  in  the  city  was  built  by  the  Episcopalians  on  the 
North  Side,  at  the  corner  of  Cass  and  Illinois  streets,  in  1837.  This  was  built 
by  the  St.  James  Episcopal  church  society,  which  had  been  organized  in  October, 
1834,  and  whose  meetings  had  been  held  in  the  building  known  as  "Tippecanoe 
Hall."  The  Reverend  Palmer  Dyer  conducted  the  services  at  first,  but  soon  after- 
wards he  went  to  Fort  Snelling  as  an  army  chaplain.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev- 
erend Isaac  W.  Hallam,  who  remained  until  1843. 

On  June  25,  1837,  the  new  building  was  dedicated  by  Bishop  Philander  Chase. 
The  building  was  Gothic  in  style  forty-four  by  sixty-four  feet  in  size,  with  a 
square  tower  in  which  was  a  bell,  and  cost  $15,500.  One  of  the  features  of  the 
new  church,  in  which  the  congregation  took  especial  pride,  was  a  large  pulpit  built 
of  mahogany,  eighteen  feet  wide,  six  feet  deep,  and  of  portentous  height.  Before 
the  pulpit  was  the  reading  desk,  and  farther  in  front  was  the  communion  table. 
Above  the  pulpit  were  painted  on  the  wall  the  letters  I.  H.  S.,  common  among 
Christian  churches,  as  is  well  known.  As  John  H.  Kinzie  was  a  large  benefactor 
of  the  church,  having  given  the  lot  on  which  it  was  built  and  contributed  towards 
its  construction,  the  initials  above  mentioned  were  mistaken  by  a  visitor  at  the 
services  for  those  of  Mr.  Kinzie.  "How  do  you  like  our  church?"  was  asked 
of  the  visitor.  "Very  much  indeed,"  he  replied,  "but  is  it  not  a  little  egotistical, 
and  won't  the  people  think  it  a  little  vain  in  John  to  put  his  initials  so  conspicuously 
over  the  pulpit?" 

Bishop  Philander  Chase,  who  had  been  in  charge  of  the  diocese  since  1835, 
was  a  remarkable  man  in  all  respects,  a  man  of  great  religious  zeal,  of  indomitable 
perseverance,  and  the  most  successful  pioneer  of  the  Episcopal  church  in  the  West. 
He  had  been  chiefly  instrumental  in  establishing  Kenyon  College  in  Ohio  some 
years  before,  having  made  a  special  journey  to  England  to  procure  funds  for 
the  purpose.  A  few  lines  quoted  from  a  student's  song  describes  his  activities  in 
the  early  days  of  that  institution: 

"He  dug  up  stones,  he  chopped  down  trees, 
He  sailed  across  the  stormy  seas. 
He  begged  at  every  noble's  door, 
And  also  that  of  Hannah  More. 
The  king,  the  queen,  the  lords,  the  earls, — 
They  gave  their  crowns,  they  gave  their  pearls, 
Until  Philander  had  enough, 
And  hurried  homeward  with  the  'stuff.'  " 


396  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

Removing  to  Illinois,  Bishop  Chase  became  interested  in  the  cause  of  higher 
education  in  this  state  and  founded  a  college  near  Peoria,  which  he  named  Jubilee 
College,  where  Judge  Harvey  B.  Hurd,  well  known  as  the  codifier  of  our  Illinois 
statutes,  received  his  education.  In  behalf  of  this  institution  Bishop  Chase  made 
another  voyage  to  England  and  was  successful  in  procuring  funds  for  the  new 
institution  from  his  many  friends  across  the  water. 

ANECDOTES    OF    BISHOP    CHASE 

The  bishop  was  a  giant  in  stature,  measuring  six  feet,  four  inches  in  height, 
and  weighing  nearly  three  hundred  pounds.  Mrs.  Nellie  Kinzie  Gordon,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  H.  Kinzie,  has  written  her  recollections  of  him.  "He  was  a  zealous 
Christian,"  she  says,  "who  never  spared  himself  in  the  service  of  the  Lord,  but 
he  was  very  domineering,  irascible,  and  intolerant  of  contradiction.  .  .  .  There 
being  no  railroads,  the  bishop  was  compelled  to  make  the  tour  of  his  diocese  in 
his  own  big  coach,  and  he  generally  came  to  grief  on  the  trip,  as  the  roads  were 
fearful.  When  he  arrived  in  Chicago  he  always  came  straight  to  our  house,  and 
usually  appeared  with  broken  bones  as  the  result  of  an  upset." 

On  one  occasion  he  had  arrived  on  a  Friday  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Kinzie,  then 
situated  at  the  corner  of  Michigan  and  Cass  streets.  He  had  as  usual,  met  with 
an  accident  between  Naperville  and  Chicago,  "which  had  finished  up  his  last 
ribs,"  as  Mrs.  Gordon  relates.  Having  taken  to  his  bed,  he  was  supposed  to  be 
disabled  from  any  further  duties  until  he  should  recover  from  his  injuries.  "On 
Saturday  evening,  however,"  continues  Mrs.  Gordon,  "he  came  into  the  library 
and  remarked  to  my  father,  who  was  the  senior  warden  of  St.  James  church,  'John, 
my  son,  I  shall  preach  tomorrow.'  'Why,  bishop,'  my  father  exclaimed,  'I  don't 
think  you  will  be  able  to  stand  that.5  'I  don't  mean  to  stand,  my  son,'  replied  the 
bishop,  'I  shall  preach,  but  I  shall  sit  down,  and  I  desire  you  to  see  that  a  seat 
is  arranged  for  me  in  the  pulpit.'  " 

Upon  the  small  platform  in  front  of  the  pulpit  the  wardens  placed  an  old  fash- 
ioned square  wash  stand,  and  draped  it  with  some  red  moreen.  On  the  top  they 
placed  a  cushion,  and  here  the  bishop,  with  the  help  of  Mr.  Kellogg,  the  rector, 
and  the  wardens,  was  safely  boosted.  After  the  services  had  proceeded  a  short  time 
"the  bishop  unfortunately  gave  himself  a  little  hitch.  It  was  fatal!  Off  slipped 
one  leg  of  the  washstand,  the  bishop  was  flung  as  from  a  catapult  head  first  into  the 
middle  of  the  chancel,  followed  by  the  washstand,  revealed  in  its  nakedness.  The 
congregation  was  breathless  with  horror  at  the  catastrophe,  while  poor  Mr.  Kellogg 
seemed  paralyzed  with  fright."  But  the  bishop  was  used  to  all  varieties  of  falls  and 
tumbles,  and  with  the  help  of  those  who  came  to  his  assistance  he  slowly  began  to 
rear  up  his  massive  form,  and  was  again  carefully  hoisted  upon  the  washstand.  and 
resumed  his  discourse,  which  took  him  an  hour  and  a  half  to  deliver. 

Bishop  Chase  died  in  1852,  and  was  succeeded  by  Reverend  Henry  J.  White- 
house.  "Bishop  Chase  filled  the  Episcopate  of  Illinois,"  says  Andreas,  "for  seven- 
teen years.  The  summary  of  his  acts  is  as  follows:  He  ordained  to  the  priest- 
hood, seven ;  to  the  deaconate,  twelve ;  he  consecrated  sixteen  churches,  and  con- 
firmed nine  hundred  and  fifteen  individuals." 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  397 

THE  SECOND  EDIFICE 

The  large  increase  in  membership  rendered  the  brick  building,  at  the  corner  of 
Cass  and  Illinois  streets,  too  small  for  its  purposes,  and  in  1857,  after  twenty 
years  of  occupancy,  the  St.  James  society  abandoned  the  old  church  and  took 
possession  of  its  new  edifice  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Cass  and  Huron  streets, 
which  had  been  completed  at  a  cost  of  sixty  thousand  dollars,  exclusive  of  the  lot 
on  which  it  was  placed. 

An  interesting  souvenir  of  the  Civil  War  is  the  bell  now  in  use  on  St.  Mark's 
church,  situated  at  the  corner  of  Thirty-sixth  street  and  Cottage  Grove  avenue. 
During  the  war  the  chaplain  of  the  military  prison,  known  as  Camp  Douglas,  ap- 
plied to  the  Government  for  funds  to  build  a  chapel  for  the  use  of  the  prisoners, 
and  secured  $2,300  out  of  a  fund  of  $60,000,  called  the  "Prisoners'  Fund."  The 
war  closed  soon  after  the  completion  of  the  chapel.  The  bell  provided  for  the 
use  of  the  chapel  was  in  part  made  of  coins  largely  contributed  by  the  Confederate 
prisoners  and  other  friends.  These  coins,  silver  and  copper,  were  melted  down 
and  molded  into  a  bell  at  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  in  1864.  St.  Mark's  church 
is  the  direct  successor  of  the  little  chapel  built  for  the  garrison  and  prisoners  dur- 
ing the  period  of  the  war. 

REFORMED    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH 

In  1871,  Charles  Edward  Cheney,  who  had  been  rector  of  Christ  church  (Protest- 
ant Episcopal)  since  1860,  issued  a  protest  against  the  findings  of  an  ecclesiastical 
tribunal  which  had  found  him  guilty  of  omitting  certain  portions  of  the  ritual  in 
services  conducted  by  him.  He  was  sentenced  to  be  suspended  from  the  ministry 
until  he  should  profess  contrition.  This  he  declined  to  do  and  the  protest  referred  to 
became  famous  in  church  history  under  the  name  of  the  "Chicago  Protest."  In  this 
document  he  said  that  he  entered  his  "solemn  protest  against  the  constitution,  the 
mode  of  procedure,  the  rulings  and  the  verdict  of  the  ecclesiastical  court  by  which 
my  so-called  trial  has  been  conducted.  From  its  decision  and  verdict,  and  from 
the  sentence  this  day  pronounced,  I  appeal  to  the  judgment  of  Protestant  Chris- 
tianity and  the  Supreme  Tribunal,  before  which  all  must  appear." 

Dr.  Cheney  was  tried  again  for  "contumacy/'  because  he  continued  to  officiate 
as  rector  of  Christ  church  in  obedience  to  the  resolution  adopted  by  the  warders 
and  vestrymen  of  that  church  to  continue  as  such.  One  of  his  defenders  in  this 
trial  was  Melville  W.  Fuller  who,  associated  with  other  counsel,  objected  to  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  court,  but  the  objection  was  overruled.  The  charges  against 
Cheney  were  sustained  and  he  and  the  congregation  of  his  church  were  thus 
forced  into  an  alliance  with  the  Reformed  Episcopal  church,  which  soon  after  be- 
came a  separate  branch  of  the  denomination.  Dr.  Cheney  was  consecrated  mis- 
sionary bishop  of  the  Northwest  in  December,  1873;  and  in  1878  he  was  made 
bishop  of  the  Synod  of  Chicago  which  position  he  holds  at  the  present  time. 

In  1875,  Samuel  Fallows  became  rector  of  St.  Paul's  Reformed  Episcopal 
church,  Chicago,  and  soon  came  to  be  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  eloquent  pul- 
pit orators  of  the  day.  Under  his  charge  St.  Paul's  church  has  become  prosper- 
ous and  influential  among  the  churches  of  the  city.  In  1876,  Dr.  Fallows  was 
elected  bishop  having  the  jurisdiction  of  the  West  and  Northwest,  which  was 
afterwards  made  a  part  of  the  Synod  of  Chicago.  He  has  been  elected  eight  times 


398  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

presiding  bishop,  and  is  now  the  Coadjutor-Bishop  of  the  Synod  of  Chicago.  Bishop 
Fallows  is  known  not  only  as  an  able  and  impressive  public  speaker  but  enjoys  also 
a  high  reputation  as  an  author  of  a  number  of  learned  works  in  various  fields  of 
thought. 

Among  some  of  the  more  important  works  written  by  Bishop  Fallows  may  be 
mentioned  "Synonyms  and  Antonyms,"  "The  Life  of  Samuel  Adams,"  "Popular  and 
Biblical  Encyclopedia,"  "Science  of  Health,"  and  "Health  and  Happiness." 

THE    FIRST   UNITARIAN    CHURCH 

The  First  Unitarian  society  was  organized  June  29,  1836,  and  eight  hundred 
dollars  was  at  once  subscribed  for  the  purchase  of  a  lot.  Meantime  services  were 
held  at  various  places,  at  first  in  the  Lake  House  on  the  North  Side.  Miss  Harriet 
Martineau  was  on  a  tour  through  the  West  at  this  time,  and  attended  these  serv- 
ices, which  she  refers  to  as  follows:  "We  were  unexpectedly  detained  over  Sunday 
in  Chicago,  and  Dr.  F.  [Dr.  Charles  Follen]  was  requested  to  preach.  Though 
only  two  hours'  notice  was  given,  a  respectable  congregation  was  assembled  in  the 
large  room  of  the  Lake  House,  a  new  hotel  then  building.  Our  seats  were  a  few 
chairs  and  benches,  and  planks  laid  on  trestles.  The  preacher  stood  behind  a  rough 
pine  table,  on  which  a  large  Bible  was  placed.  I  was  never  present  at  a  more 
interesting  service,  and  I  know  that  there  were  others  who  felt  with  me." 

In  October,  1839,  Reverend  Joseph  Harrington  became  pastor  of  the  society, 
and  the  next  year  set  to  work  to  build  a  church.  A  lot  was  purchased  on  the  south 
side  of  Washington  street,  between  Clark  and  Dearborn  streets,  eighty  by  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  feet  in  size,  for  which  the  sum  of  five  hundred  dollars  was  paid. 
On  this  lot  was  built  in  1841,  the  church  edifice,  forty-two  by  sixty  feet,  at  a 
cost  of  forty-two  hundred  dollars.  The  building  was  ornamented  with  a  spire  in 
which  was  a  bell,  which,  with  the  exception  of  the  small  bell  on  St.  Mary's  church, 
was  the  first  church  bell  in  Chicago.  "It  was  the  first  bell  in  Chicago,"  says 
Andreas,  "that  could  be  heard  to  any  considerable  distance,  and  was  depended 
upon  by  other  churches  to  denote  the  time  of  Sunday  services;  It  was  also  used  as 
a  fire  alarm  bell  until  1853,  when  the  First  Baptist  church  was  erected  at  the 
corner  of  Washington  and  La  Salle  streets,  and  the  bell  belonging  to  it,  being  a 
larger  and  more  powerful  one,  superseded  the  'little  bell'  on  the  Unitarian  church 
in  case  of  the  necessity  of  sounding  a  fire  alarm."  The  bell  in  the  Baptist  church 
spire  was  used  for  this  purpose  until  the  courthouse  was  completed  in  1856,  in  the 
tower  of  which  was  hung  a  heavy  bell  which  thenceforward  discharged  the  func- 
tions of  a  fire  alarm  bell. 

The  Reverend  Robert  Collyer  often  preached  in  this  church  during  the  follow- 
ing years.  In  1862  the  building  of  the  First  Unitarian  church  was  destroyed  by 
fire,  and  soon  after  a  new  location  was  sought  on  Wabash  avenue,  near  Hubbard 
court,  on  which  a  new  building  was  erected  in  1863.  In  1866,  Reverend  Robert 
Laird  Collier  became  pastor.  The  similarity  of  the  name  of  the  latter  to  that 
of  Robert  Collyer,  the  famous  pastor  of  the  Unity  church — both  belonging  to  the 
same  denomination, — has  caused  endless  confusion  with  readers,  and  even  with 
writers  who  had  no  personal  knowledge  of  the  men,  both  preachers  being  men  of 
force  and  great  ability  and  often  mentioned  in  the  public  prints. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  399 

Unity  church  was  an  offshoot  from  the  First  Unitarian  society,  and  in  1859  a 
building  was  erected  on  the  corner  of  Chicago  avenue  and  North  Dearborn  street 
(as  it  was  then  called),  and  Robert  Collyer  became  its  pastor.  In  1867  a  new 
location  was  found  on  the  corner  of  Walton  place  and  Dearborn  avenue,  where  a 
beautiful  structure  of  cut  stone  with  double  spires  was  erected.  This  church  met 
the  common  fate  in  the  fire  of  1871,  but  was  afterwards  re-erected  on  the  same 
lines,  and  stands  to  the  present  time,  though  devoted  to  other  uses. 

In  the  recollections  of  A.  D.  Field,  referred  to  elsewhere,  he  speaks  of  the 
building  erected  by  the  First  Unitarian  society,  as  follows:  "In  the  summer  of 
1841  the  Unitarians  built  the  first  really  elegant  church,  except  the  Episcopal, 
in  the  city.  It  was  of  frame,  but  had  a  tall  spire  in  which  was  a  bell.  In  1845 
and  '46,  the  city  hired  a  man  to  ring  this  bell  at  12  o'clock.  You  could  see  that 
beautiful  spire  and  hear  that  bell  in  any  part  of  the  city.  Years  after,  I  was  pass- 
ing along  and  undertook  to  find  that  Unitarian  church.  I  had  hard  work  to  find 
it.  On  the  corner  of  Washington  and  Clark,  and  east  on  Washington  were  brick 
blocks  towering  upward,  and  in  a  notch  between  them  stood,  almost  out  of  sight, 
overshadowed  by  the  buildings,  that  church  that  was  once  the  land  mark  of  all 
the  country  around." 

THE    CHURCH    OF    THE    NEW    JERUSALEM 

The  Chicago  Society  of  the  New  Jerusalem  was  formed  on  the  7th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1843,  at  the  house  of  J.  Young  Scammon,  with  three  members,  namely, 
Mr.  Scammon,  his  wife,  Mary  A.  H.  Scammon,  and  Vincent  S.  Lowell,  a  resident 
of  Elgin,  these  being  all  the  "New  Church"  people  in  Chicago  or  its  vicinity  at  that 
time.  A  "platform"  was  adopted,  consisting  of  the  "three  essentials"  of  the 
church,  as  contained  in  Emanuel  Swedenborg's  treatise  on  Divine  Providence.  These 
were,  "First,  the  acknowledgement  of  the  Divinity  of  Our  Lord;  Second,  the  ac- 
knowledgement of  the  Sancity  of  the  word ;  and  Third,  the  life  which  is  called 
Charity," — Charity  being  further  defined  in  the  following  language:  "According 
to  the  life  which  is  charity  every  man  has  faith;  from  the  word  is  the  knowl- 
edge of  what  life  must  be;  and  from  the  Lord  is  reformation  and  Salvation."  This 
denomination,  usually  spoken  of  as  the  Swedenborgian  church,  "has  no  uniform 
liturgy  or  discipline,"  says  a  writer  in  the  "American  Cyclopaedia,"  "each  society 
being  left  to  itself,  very-  much  on  the  Congregational  system." 

One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  society  was  the  securing  of  a  lot  on  which  to  erect 
a  church.  The  lot  obtained  was  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Adams  street  and 
Wabash  avenue,  seventy-six  by  one  hundred  and  seventy-six  feet  in  size.  This 
lot  was  obtained  as  a  gift  from  the  Canal  Commissioners,  in  the  following  manner: 
"There  existed  in  Illinois,  in  1843,"  says  Rudolph  Williams,  the  author  of  a  his- 
tory of  the  "New  Church,"  "a  law  under  which,  in  towns  located  where  there  were 
Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  lands,  organized  churches  could,  without  cost,  obtain 
a  title  to  a  lot  for  a  church  building.  This  privilege,  it  was  understood,  would 
become  inoperative  in  Chicago  with  the  expiration  of  that  "year." 

A  record  of  the  proceedings  of  the  first  meeting  of  the  society  was  made  and 
certified.  The  Reverend  John  R.  Hibbard,  who  was  pastor  of  the  New  church 
from  1849  to  1877,  says  in  his  volume,  "Reminiscences  of  a  Pioneer,"  that  when 
Mr.  Scammon,  with  the  certified  record  of  the  organization  of  the  society,  applied 


400  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

to  the  Canal  Commissioners  for  a  lot,  "they  were  rather  astonished  and  inclined 
not  to  give  a  lot  to  a  church  so  few  in  number;  but  Mr.  Scammon  insisted,  saying 
that,  although  now  very  small,  the  New  Jerusalem  was  destined  to  become  the 
largest,  if  not  the  only  church  in  the  world.  The  trustees  yielded  and  gave  the 
lot." 

A  large  measure  of  prosperity  was  enjoyed  by  the  Swedenborgians,  and  their 
numbers  increased  rapidly.  The  first  person  to  be  baptized  after  the  formation 
of  the  society  was  Joseph  K.  C.  Forrest,  well  known  in  our  early  annals;  and 
in  the  long  roll  of  those  who  became  connected  with  the  church  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem are  the  names  of  many  who  were  prominent  as  citizens  and  in  the  affairs  of 
Chicago. 

JEWISH     CONGREGATIONS 

In  1849  the  Jews,  who  had  begun  to  arrive  in  considerable  numbers  during 
the  previous  few  years,  "erected  a  synagogue  on  Clark  street  between  Quincy  and 
Adams  streets,  on  a  lot  they  had  leased,"  says  Andreas.  "At  the  expiration  of 
their  lease  they  bought  a  lot  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Adams  and  Wells  streets, 
upon  which  they  erected  a  second  synagogue.  This  was  in  1855.  Here  they 
remained  until  1865,  when,  the  house  becoming  too  small,  they  sold  the  property 
and  bought  a  church  on  the  corner  of  Wabash  avenue  and  Peck  court.  In  this 
church  they  worshipped  until  it  was  destroyed  by  the  great  fire  of  1871.  The  first 
minister  of  this  congregation  was  Reverend  Ignatz  Kunreuther,  who  became  pastor 
in  1849.  In  1855  he  was  succeeded  by  Reverend  G.  Schnerdacher,  and  he  was 
succeeded  in  1856  by  Reverend  G.  M.  Cohen.  The  following  gentlemen  then  suc- 
cessively officiated  as  ministers  of  this  congregation;  Reverends  L.  Lebrecht,  L. 
Levi,  M.  Mauser,  M.  Moses,  and  L.  Adler.  The  pastorates  of  all  except  the  last 
were  quite  short.  Mr.  Adler  was  called  in  1861,  and  remained  until  1880." 

SINAI  CONGREGATION 

The  history  of  Sinai  Congregation  which  follows  is  based  upon  Mr.  H.  Elias- 
soff's  very  interesting  and  complete  account  printed  in  the  "Reform  Advocate," 
under  date  of  May  6th,  1911. 

On  Sunday,  June  20,  1858,  in  the  office  of  Greenebaum  Brothers,  then  at  Num- 
ber 45  Clark  street,  the  "Yuedische  Reform  Verein"  was  instituted.  Here  were 
laid  the  foundation  stones  of  the  Sinai  Congregation.  The  main  purpose  of  the 
Jewish  Reform  Society  was  "to  awaken  and  cultivate  truer  conceptions  of  Judaism, 
and  a  higher  realization  of  Jewish  religious  life." 

This  movement  was  agitated  from  time  to  time  among  the  Jews  of  Chicago 
until  the  fall  of  1860,  when  a  considerable  number  of  the  members  of  the  older 
congregations,  finding  their  efforts  for  reform  within  the  circles  of  the  orthodox 
organizations  had  proved  fruitless,  withdrew  and  established  the  "Sinai  Con- 
gregation." The  charter  of  the  Congregation  was  dated  July  20,  1861.  The  serv- 
ices were  held  on  Saturdays,  the  Jewish  Sabbath,  as  formerly,  the  change  which 
was  afterwards  made  to  Sunday  not  being  ventured  upon  at  this  time. 

A  noteworthy  section  of  the  constitution  adopted  by  the  reform  organization 
was  as  follows:  "Prayers  for  the  restoration  of  the  Mosaic  cult  of  sacrifices,  for 
the  return  of  an  Israelitish  nation  as  such  to  Palestine,  the  coming  of  a  personal 


ST.  JAMES  CHURCH 


SINAI   SYNAGOGUE 


HOLY  NAME  CATHEDRAL 


THIRD  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 


FIFTH   CHURCH  OF  CHRIST, 

SCIENTIST 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  401 

Messiah,  the  bodily  resurrection  of  the  dead,  shall  not  be  engrafted  in  the  service 
of  the  Congregation."  Dr.  B.  Felsenthal  accepted  a  call  to  the  spiritual  leader- 
ship of  the  young  Congregation  and  became  its  first  Rabbi. 

The  first  temple  was  a  frame  building,  a  former  Christian  church,  located  on 
Monroe  street,  between  Clark  and  La  Salle.  This  temple  was  dedicated  on  June  21, 
1861,  by  Dr.  S.  Adler  of  New  York.  The  first  public  divine  service  was  then  held 
by  the  young  Congregation.  Dr.  Felsenthal  occupied  the  pulpit  of  Sinai  Con- 
gregation for  three  years,  and  on  June  17,  1864,  he  preached  his  farewell  sermon. 

NEW    LOCATION    SECURED 

The  second  temple  of  the  Congregation  was  located  on  Third  avenue  (now 
Plymouth  place)  and  Van  Buren  street,  and  was  dedicated  in  the  spring  of  1863. 
One  of  the  features  of  the  dedication  was  that  "all  members,  by  common  consent, 
took  off  their  hats  for  the  first  time  during  divine  services,"  thus  definitely  breaking 
away  from  the  old  Jewish  custom  of  keeping  hats  on  at  such  times. 

Dr.  Chronik  was  elected  in  1865,  and  became  Rabbi  of  the  Congregation.  Dur- 
ing the  incumbency  of  Dr.  Chronik  the  transfer  of  the  Saturday  Sabbath  to  Sunday 
was  advocated  by  him.  In  one  of  his  lectures  he  said  that  "it  was  the  only  remedy 
for  the  preservation  and  dissemination  of  prophetic  Judaism."  Such  transfer, 
however,  was  not  made  until  some  years  later,  the  Jewish  people  not  yet  being 
ready  to  adopt  the  innovation.  Dr.  Kaufman  Kohler  was  the  next  incumbent,  ar- 
riving on  the  scene  just  after  the  great  fire  of  1871,  when  the  temple  was  in  ruins 
after  that  disastrous  conflagration.  A  new  site  was  purchased  in  1872,  at  the 
corner  of  Indiana  avenue  and  Twenty-first  street.  Sunday  services  were  in- 
augurated by  Dr.  Kohler,  the  Congregation  having  wisely  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  Sunday  services  were  "a  necessity  for  the  preservation  of  Judaism  in  America." 
It  was  not  until  the  8th  of  April,  1876,  that  the  new  temple  was  dedicated,  the 
total  cost  of  the  new  edifice  reaching  the  sum  of  $128,000.  Dr.  Kohler  resigned 
in  1879. 

OFFICIAL   RECOGNITION    OF    SUNDAY    WORSHIP 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  members  of  Sinai  Congregation,  held  February 
19.  1880,  the  following  resolution,  giving  official  recognition  to  Sunday  services 
(though  already  in  practice),  was  adopted: 

"Resolved,  that  inasmuch  as  circumstances  over  which  we  have  no  control  pre- 
vent a  large  number  of  our  members  and  young  Israel  especially  from  attending 
public  worship  on  the  Biblical  Sabbath,  this  Congregation  considers  it  an  im- 
perative duty  to  continue  to  hold  services  on  the  common  day  of  rest,  and  to  this 
end  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  incoming  minister  to  attend  to  all  functions  of  his 
station  on  Sabbaths  and  festivals  and  to  deliver  lectures  before  this  Congregation 
on  every  Sunday." 

So  important  is  this  question  of  the  expediency  of  holding  Jewish  services 
on  Sunday  regarded  that  the  opinions  of  a  number  of  leading  men  in  the  Jewish 
world  are  here  quoted  bearing  on  the  subject.  Said  Dr.  Kohler  on  one  occasion: 
"We  have  no  right  to  say,  'Starve,  rather  than  come  on  the  Christian  Sabbath 
day  to  the  Synagogue  to  be  fed  on  Heaven's  manna.'  "  Dr.  Sale  once  said  in 
substance:  "If  we  believe  that  we  may  not  observe  any  other  day  than  the  one 


402  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

that  was  held  sacred  by  our  ancestors,  I  do  not  see  how  we  can  possibly  achieve 
the  fruits  of  this  Sabbath  observance  under  the  conditions  of  modern  society. 
With  all  of  our  wailing,  with  all  of  our  impotent  wringing  of  hands,  with  all  our 
imbecile  and  inane  appeals  to  a  sentiment  that  will  not  re-echo  in  our  minds  and 
our  hearts,  we  will  accomplish  nothing.  We  will  simply  be  wildly  beating  against 
the  portals  of  our  future,  but  we  will  not  enter  the  promised  land  of  prophetic 
Judaism,  which  means  humanity." 

THE    COMING    OP    RABBI    HIRSCH 

It  was  in  July,  1880,  that  a  new  star  appeared  on  the  firmament  of  Sinai  Con- 
gregation. At  this  time  Dr.  Emil  G.  Hirsch,  son  of  Dr.  Samuel  Hirsch,  also  an 
eminent  Jewish  Rabbi,  was  elected  minister  of  the  Congregation,  and  soon  after 
entered  upon  the  discharge  of  his  duties  in  which  he  has  continued  down  to  the 
present  time.  The  Congregation  began  almost  immediately  to  increase  its  mem- 
bership, the  new  members  all  occupying  representative  positions  in  the  Chicago 
Jewish  community. 

Owing  to  the  large  increase  in  numbers  the  Congregation,  in  1892,  determined 
upon  having  the  temple  entirely  remodeled.  Mr.  Eliassoff,  in  his  account  of  the 
services  conducted  by  Dr.  Hirsch,  after  the  temple  had  been  reopened,  writes:  '"Dr. 
Hirsch  seemed  inspired.  The  fiery  eloquence  of  his  words  when  he  delivered 
his  sermon  entitled,  'The  Two  Books,'  perfectly  enthralled  the  souls  of  his 
listeners."  A  brief  passage  from  the  sermon  referred  to  is  quoted: 

Dr.  Hirsch  said:  "To  the  sacred  inspiration  of  this  hour,  to  the  solemn  ap- 
peal of  this  house,  let  me  bid  you  welcome.  We  return  after  prolonged  absence 
to  our  home.  At  the  threshold  meets  us  the  New  Year  to  usher  us  to  the  new 
Temple.  The  presence  of  this  herald  is  a  warning  to  remember  the  caution:  Re- 
joice in  fear,  not  that  the  conceit  possesses  us  that  excessive  joy  must  be  ran- 
somed by  corresponding  depth  of  grief.  To  such  dread  we  are  not  slaves.  The 
fetters  of  this  heritage  of  remote  days  do  not  weigh  down  the  wings  of  our  soul, 
though  in  such  bondage  the  brightest  even  among  the  sun-kissed  minds  of  Greece 
were  paying  homage  to  tyrant  fear.  We  know  that  the  exultations  as  well  as  the 
lamentations  of  mortal  tongues  are  neither  challenge  nor  charm  to  storm  or  light- 
ning, to  tide  or  wave,  to  fire  or  plague ;  not  by  such  modes  may  either  their  fury 
be  aroused,  or  their  ravages  stayed." 

A    NEW    TEMPLE    DEDICATED 

In  April,  1911,  the  old  temple  at  Indiana  avenue  and  Twenty-first  street  was 
abandoned  in  view  of  the  approaching  completion  of  the  new  and  beautiful  edifice 
on  the  corner  of  Grand  boulevard  and  Forty-sixth  street.  The  new  temple  was 
erected  at  an  outlay  of  $400,000,  the  ground  upon  which  it  is  built  having  cost 
$80,000.  The  membership  of  the  Congregation  is  placed  in  a  recent  report  at  five 
hundred  and  eighty-one,  and  the  affairs  of  the  society  are  in  all  respects  in  a 
flourishing  condition.  After  thirty-one  years  of  continuous  service  Dr.  Hirsch  is 
still  the  presiding  genius  of  this  splendid  religious  enterprise,  secure  in  the  af- 
fections of  his  people  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  an  exalted  reputation  in  the  com- 
munity. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  403 

FIELD'S    RECOLLECTIONS 

The  following  account  of  early  times  in  Chicago  is  compiled  from  A.  D.  Field's 
recollections  left  in  manuscript  form  some  years  since  with  the  Evanston  Historical 
Society.  We  have  given  elsewhere  portions  of  Field's  recollections,  but  as  this 
portion  refers  to  the  early  churches,  it  may  be  regarded  as  an  interesting  supple- 
ment to  the  sketches  previously  given. 

"Among  the  early  settlers,"  he  says,  "were  the  Beaubien .  family — John  B., 
Mark  and  Medore.  I  knew  all  of  them.  Mark  kept  the  Sauganash  hotel  in  1836. 
Charles  Taylor  and  his  two  brothers,  Anson  and  Augustine  Deodat  (usually 
called  Deodat  Taylor),  w.ere  Catholics,  as  were  also  the  Beaubiens.  These  peo- 
ple and  others  built  the  first  Catholic  church  in  Chicago,  in  1833. 

"Reverend  Jesse  Walker  had  built  a  log  house  at  Wolf  Point  as  early  as  July, 
1831,  in  which  the  Methodists,  as  well  as  the  Presbyterians,  held  services.  This 
structure  was  a  dwelling  and  schoolhouse  combined.  It  was  in  the  house  that  Jere- 
miah Porter,  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  held  services,  in  1833,  before  the  com- 
pletion of  the  first  edifice  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  The  latter  building  was 
situated  on  the  west  side  of  Clark  street,  between  Randolph  and  Lake  streets.  It 
was  seated  with  benches  and  was  used  for  both  church  and  school  purposes.  I  at- 
tended school  in  this  building  in  the  fall  of  1835  and  winter  of  1836.  This  church 
was  dedicated  in  January,  1834. 

"When  I  joined  the  Clark  street  Methodist  church  in  Chicago,  in  the  fall  of 
1842,  there  was  one  lone  Methodist  Society  in  the  city.  The  pastor,  N.  P.  Cun- 
ningham, and  the  Presiding  Elder,  Hooper  Crews,  lived  in  the  city;  besides  them 
there  were  no  other  Methodist  preachers  nearer  than  Waukegan,  Elgin,  Aurora, 
Naperville  and  Joliet. 

"Now,  in  1900,  there  are  more  than  a  hundred  Methodist  churches  and  preach- 
ers on  this  ground.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  there  is  probably  not  a  vestige  left 
of  any  building  or  bell  that  I  ever  saw  or  knew  in  1845  and  previously  thereto. 

"The  Chicago  fire  of  Oct.  9,  1871,  swept  out  everything  I  had  ever  seen,  even 
the  ground  on  which  I  trod  has  been  buried  eight  feet  deep  by  the  raising  of  the 
city  in  1858.  The  lake,  the  beautiful  lake,  is  all  that  is  left. 

"There  were  two  or  three  things  in  which  all  the  Chicago  churches  were  a 
unit.  They  were  all  orthodox  on  the  following:  The  pews  were  all  straight  pews, 
as  high  as  the  backs  of  the  people  and  had  doors.  You  went  into  your  rented  pew 
and  closed  the  door  and  buttoned  it.  The  pulpit  was  a  'preach-pen.'  If  a 
preacher  knelt  down  in  the  pulpit  he  could  not  .be  seen.  He  went  up  three  or 
four  steps,  went  into  the  pulpit  and  shut  the  door  and  buttoned  it. 

"The  churches  were  lighted  with  lard  oil  lamps.  In  cold  weather  the  oil 
would  harden  white.  The  sexton  (we  did  not  have  janitors  then)  would  go  about 
before  church  time  with  a  bottle  of  spirits  of  turpentine  in  which  was  a  stick  or 
swab.  He  would  smirch  the  wick  with  turpentine,  light  his  match  and  coax  the 
lamp-wick  into  the  flame.  The  lights  were  dimmer  than  a  tallow  candle  and  the 
churches  of  evenings  would  look  as  dismal  as  a  torch  lighted  cave." 

PIONEER     PREACHING 

The  fervency  and  directness  of  religious  appeals  made  by  the  "circuit  riders," 
and  the  Evangelists  of  various  denominations  are  picturesque  features  in  the  life 


404  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

of  the  early  settlers  throughout  the  West.  The  preaching  of  these  men  had  a 
deep  influence  on  the  people,  softening  the  rough  manners  of  the  settlers  and 
bringing  into  their  lives  a  higher  standard  of  living  and  thinking.  Peter  Cart- 
wright,  a  well-known  figure  in  the  pioneer  days  of  Illinois,  was  a  preacher  of  wide 
renown,  spending  more  than  forty  years  of  his  life  traveling  over  the  state  on 
horseback  or  in  a  conveyance,  holding  services  in  cabins,  schoolhouses,  and  at 
camp-meetings.  He  also  found  time  in  his  busy  life  to  serve  a  term  in  the  Illinois 
State  Legislature  of  1828-9.  Many  stories  of  Cartwright  are  told  of  his  powers 
as  an  exhorter  and  preacher,  and  also  of  his  prowess  in  quelling  disorders  at 
camp-meetings,  not  hesitating  to  use  force  to  eject  disturbers,  or  meet  them  in 
combat. 

Cartwright  made  effective  use  of  the  "fire  and  brimstone"  argument  in  his 
sermons,  as  well  as  of  the  more  benign  truths  of  the  gospel  story.  In  Grierson's 
"The  Valley  of  Shadows,"  a  book  depicting  life  in  the  mid-century  period  in  Illi- 
nois, one  of  the  pioneers  says  of  his  preaching:  "Brother  Cartwright  tuck  right 
holt,  ez  ye  might  say,  en  swung  'em  till  their  feet  tetched  perdition."  Like  sturdy 
old  John  Knox  of  Scotland,  he  made  no  distinction  in  rank  or  sex  when  he  be-1 
lieved  he  had  a  message  to  deliver.  Once  Andrew  Jackson  came  into  a  meeting 
where  Cartwright  was  preaching,  and  the  Presiding  Elder  whispered  to  the 
preacher,  "That's  Andrew  Jackson."  But  the  preacher,  in  the  full  fervor  of 
his  discourse,  shouted,  "Who's  Andrew  Jackson?  If  he's  a  sinner  God  will  damn 
him  the  same  as  he  would  a  Guinea  nigger."  It  is  a  satisfaction  to  mention  that 
"Old  Hickory"  took  no  offence  at  this  language,  but  on  the  contrary  invited  him! 
to  dine  with  him  at  the  close  of  his  services  and  congratulated  him  on  his  sincerity 
and  high  moral  courage. 

In  Grierson's  book,  above  referred  to,  the  author  relates  that  in  the  course  oil 
a  camp-meeting  address  Cartwright  pointed  straight  at  one  of  the  women,  who 
was  showing  signs  of  emotional  interest,  and  said :  " Ye're  at  the  crossroads,  sis-* 
ter ;  ye'll  have  to  choose  one  or  t'  other ;  en  the  years  en  the  months  are  gone  f eq 
most  of  ye,  en  thar's  only  this  here  hour  left  fer  to  choose.  Which  will  it  be?l 
Will  it  be  the  road  that  leads  up  yander,  or  the  one  that  leads  down  by  the  darkl 
river  whar  the  willers  air  weepin'  night  en  day?"  Driving' home  the  effects  of  th« 
rude  eloquence,  he  takes  an  illustration  from  a  'coon  hunt,  familiar  enough  to  his] 
hearers.  "Sinners,"  he  says,  "is  jes'  like  the  coon  asleep  in  that  tree,  never  drenminl 
of  danger.  But  the  varmint  war  waked  all  on  a  sudden  by  a  thunderin'  smell  ol 
smoke,  en  had  to  take  to  the  branches.  Someone  climbs  up  the  tree  en  shakes  thj 
branch  whar  the  coon  is  holdin'  on."  The  preacher  then  slung  his  handkerchief. 
over  his  left  arm,  and  continued ;  "A  leetle  more,  a  leetle  more,  a  l-e-e-t-l-e  morem 
en  the  varmint's  bound  to  drap  squar"  on  the  dogs."  He  shook  his  arm  three 
times,  letting  the  handkerchief  drop,  and  with  dramatic  solemnity  and  in  meas-1 
ured  accents  continued,  "  -  down  to  whar  the  wailin'  en  gnashiii'  air  a  million 
times  more  terrible  'n  the  sufferin's  of  that  coon." 

SENTENCES    OF     EXCOMMUNICATION 

"Iii   early  times,  it  was  customary,"   said   John  Wentworth   in  one  of  his  his-l 
torical  lectures,  in   1876,  "to  excommunicate  members  of  the  church  as  publicly  as] 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  405 

they  had  been  admitted.      ...      I  remember  in  the  early  times  here  of  a  clergy- 
man's dealing,  at  the  close  of  his  service,  with  a  member,  one  of  our  well-known 
citizens,    somewhat   after    this    fashion:      'You    will    remember,    my    hearers,    that 
some  time  ago  Mr.   Blank  was  proposed   for   admission  to  this  church,  and,   after 
Ihe  had  passed  a  favorable  examination,  I  called  upon  every  one  present  to  know 
f  there  was  any  objection,  and  no  one  rose  and  objected.     It  becomes  my  pain- 
ul   duty   now   to   pronounce   the    sentence   of   excommunication    upon   him,    and   to 
emand  him  back  to  the  world  again  with  all  his  sins  upon  his  head.' 

"Whereupon  a  gentleman  rose  in  his  pew  and  said:  'And  now  the  world 
ibjects  to  receiving  him.'  On  which  bursts  of  laughter  filled  the  house,  and  the 
jrecise  status  of  that  man  was  never  determined." 

DR.   DYER  AND  THE   GOAT 

A  story  is  told  of  Dr.  Charles  V.  Dyer,  a  member  of  the  Swedenborgian  So- 
:iety,  which  held  its  meetings  in  the  old  Saloon  building  in  1850.  Some  goats  were 
cept  by  residents  in  the  vicinity,  and,  according  to  the  eccentricities  of  that  animal, 
were  frequently  met  with  in  most  unexpected  places.  They  were  even  encountered 
n  the  stairway  to  the  upper  rooms  of  the  Saloon  building,  then  the  most  elegant 
structure  in  the  city.  On  one  occasion  Dr.  Dyer  was  seen  driving  the  goats  away 
'rom  the  entrance  to  the  place  of  worship,  when  some  person  remarked  to  him, 
'You  have  goats  in  your 'congregation  ?"  "No,  sir,"  replied  the  doctor,  "ours  is  the 
>nly  congregation  in  town  which  turns  them  out." 

HISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCHES 

An  adequate  and  complete  history  of  all  the  churches  in  Chicago  would  re- 
quire a  volume  or  more  to  do  it  justice.  The  general  reader  is  presumably  in- 
;erested  in  the  beginnings  and  progress  of  the  religious  life  of  the  city  rather 
;han  the  history  of  particular  churches,  each  of  which  has  a  history  of  local  in- 
;erest  only.  We  have  chosen  to  give  a  history  of  the  pioneer  churches  only,  such,. 
ior  example,  as  have  had  their  beginnings  before  the  year  1850,  and  following  the 
evolution  of  one  single  church  as  representing  all  the  churches  of  its  denomination. 
Dn  this  plan  we  have  attempted  to  outline  the  history  of  those  denominations  which 
lad  established  themselves  in  Chicago  before  the  period  named  above. 


CHAPTER  XX 

SLAVERY  ISSUES  IN  CHICAGO 

SLAVERY     IN     ILLINOIS FUGITIVE    SLAVE     LAW ITS    BANEFUL     EFFECTS— MRS.     STOWE's 

REMARKABLE  BOOK BLACK   CODE   OF  ILLINOIS SALE   OF  A   NEGRO  IN   CHICAGO SET 

AT  LIBERTY  AFTER  SALE ANTI-SLAVERY  SENTIMENT  IN  CHICAGO THE  UNDER- 
GROUND RAILROAD GREAT  NUMBERS  OF  RUNAWAY  SLAVES MEETINGS  TO  DE- 
NOUNCE THE  FUGITIVE  SLAVE  LAW SENATOR  DOUGLAS  APPEARS  ON  THE  SCENE 

CAUSES  A  TEMPORARY  REVERSAL  OF  SENTIMENT REVIEWS  THE  FUGITIVE   SLAVE   LAW 

ANSWERS   AWKWARD    QUESTIONS DOUGLAS    OFFERS   RESOLUTIONS    TO    SUPPORT    THE 

OBNOXIOUS      LAW SUCCEEDS      IN      GETTING      THEM      ADOPTED SHOWS      WONDERFUL 

POWER  IN  SWAYING  AUDIENCES OPPOSITION  MEETINGS  HELD PUBLIC   MEETINGS  SIX 

NIGHTS   IN  SUCCESSION- 
SLAVERY    IN    ILLINOIS 

ALTHOUGH  by  the  Ordinance  of  1787  slavery  was  prohibited  in  the  North- 
west Territory,  there  had  been  found  a  way  by  slave  owners,  under  a  so- 
called  "Indenture  Law,"  enacted  while  Illinois  was  under  a  territorial 
form  of  government,  to  hold  negroes  and  mulattoes  to  service,  which 
was  in  effect  the  same  as  slavery.1  When  the  state  constitution  was 
adopted,  in  1818,  it  prohibited  slavery,  but  the  old  indentures  of  negroes  were  rec- 
ognized, though  future  ones  of  a  similar  kind  were  forbidden.  Thus  it  came  about 
that  in  the  census  reports  for  the  four  periods,  1810,  '20,  '30,  and  '40,  Illinois  was 
shown  to  have  a  slave  population,  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  in  the  first  of  the 
years  named,  nine  hundred  and  seventeen  in  the  second,  seven  hundred  and  forty- 
seven  in  the  third,  and  three  hundred  and  thirty-one  in  the  fourth.  In  the  next 
census  after  1840,  there  were  no  slaves  enumerated.2 

THE    FUGITIVE    SLAVE    LAW 

"The  Constitution,"  says  Von  Hoist,  "had  undeniably  intended  not  only  to  give 
the  slaveholders  generally  the  right  of  claiming  their  fugitive  slaves,  but  also  to 
make  their  recovery  as  easy  as  was  possible  without  infringing  or  endangering  the 
rights  of  third  parties."  3  The  language  of  the  Constitution  referred  to  by  Von 
Hoist,  was  as  follows : 

"No  person  held  to  service  or  labor  in  one  state,  under  the  laws  thereof,  escap- 
ing into  another,  shall,  in  consequence  of  any  law  or  regulation  therein,  be  dis- 

1Boggess:  Settlement  of  Illinois,  p.  117. 
2Appleton's  Cyclopedia,  art.  "Illinois." 
8  Von  Hoist:  Constitutional  History  of  United  States,  III,  551. 

406 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  407 

charged  from  such  service  or  labor,  but  shall  be  delivered  up  on  claim  of  the  party 
to  whom  such  service  or  labor  may  be  due."  (Art.  IV,  sec.  2.) 

A  writer  in  the  "American  Cyclopaedia,"  commenting  on  this  passage,  says:  "Al- 
though the  word  slave  was  not  here  employed,  the  purpose  was  to  provide  for  the 
reclamation  of  slaves  fleeing  from  their  masters;  and,  in  1793,  an  act  was  passed  by 
Congress  to  give  effect  to  the  provision  by  means  of  the  arrest  of  any  person  claimed 
as  a  fugitive  from  slavery,  and  his  return  to  the  state  from  which  he  was  found  to 
have  fled,  after  a  summary  judicial  hearing.  The  repugnance  to  the  institution  of 
slavery  on  the  part  of  large  numbers  of  people  in  the  northern  states  rendered  this 
act  of  little  practical  value."  4 

The  slaveholders  of  the  South,  chafing  under  their  losses  from  runaway  slaves, 
demanded  a  new  law  which  would  be  more  efficient  than  the  old  one,  and  after  a 
long  and  bitter  contention  succeeded  in  procuring  the  passage  of  the  notorious  Fugi- 
tive Slave  Law,  in  1850.  "The  bill  began,"  says  Von  Hoist,  who  makes  a  summary 
of  its  provisions,  "by  charging  with  the  execution  of  the  law,  commissions  [i.  e., 
'United  States  Commissioners']  appointed  by  the  circuit  courts  of  the  United 
States.  .  .  .  Equally  with  the  judges  of  the  circuit  and  district  courts  they 
were  to  take  cognizance  of  plaints  for  the  delivery  of  fugitive  slaves,  a  provision 
the  constitutionality  of  which  was  much  attacked,  because  the  Constitution  did  not 
give  Congress  a  right  to  transfer  judicial  powers  to  officials  who  were  not  judges." 
All  good  citizens  were  commanded,  if  required,  "to  aid  and  assist  in  the  prompt  and 
efficient  execution  of  this  law;"  and  whoever  knowingly  harbored  or  concealed  a 
fugitive  slave,  in  order  to  prevent  his  arrest,  should  be  fined  "not  more  than  one 
thousand  dollars  and  imprisoned  not  more  than  six  months,  and  shall,  in  addition, 
if  the  slave  escapes,  pay  the  owner  one  thousand  dollars.  If  the  owner  fears  a 
forcible  rescue  of  the  slave  awarded  him,  the  official  in  whose  hands  the  slave  is, 
may,  at  the  expense  of  the  United  States,  employ  as  many  men  as  he  deems  neces- 
sary and  retain  them  according  to  his  discretion,  in  order  to  prevent  the  rescue."  5 

BANEFUL  EFFECTS  OF  THE  FUGITIVE   SLAVE   LAW 

"From  the  standpoint  of  humanity,  fairness  and  morals,"  continues  Von  Hoist, 
"it  needs  no  closer  examination;  it  is  enough  to  read  its  provisions  through  once 
attentively,  in  order  to  turn  from  it  with  horror  and  indignation.  That  the  Demo- 
cratic republic  could  bring  itself  to  take  part  in  such  fashion  for  the  slave-hunter 
and  against  his  victim,  and  that  it  was  made  so  fearfully  easy  for  unscrupulousness, 
revenge,  and  greed,  to  convert  free  men  and  women  into  slaves,  will  always  remain 
a  deep  stain  in  the  history  of  the  United  States.  'Whom  the  Gods  will  destroy 
they  first  make  mad.'  The  old  saying  had  here  received  a  striking  confirmation  in 
the  case  of  the  slavocracy.  The  Fugitive  Slave  Law  was  a  deadly  blow  to  it  in- 
flicted by  its  own  hands,  and  this  political  side  of  the  question  was  of  infinitely 
greater  significance  than  the  constitutional  quibblings."  6 

The  Fugitive  Slave  Law  had  the  effect  of  destroying  every  pacifying  effect  which 
it  had  been  confidently  predicted  it  would  accomplish.  It  went  beyond  the  re- 

4  Appleton's  Cyclopedia,  art.  "Fugitive." 

5  Von  Hoist:  III,  548. 
8  Ibid.,  551. 


408  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

quirements  of  the  Constitution  needlessly,  and  violated  the  principles  of  justice  by 
providing  no  safeguard  for  the  claimed  fugitive  against  perjury  and  fraud.  The 
procedure  against  the  accused  was  "summary,"  and  his  own  testimony  was  not  to 
be  admitted.7  "Every  case  that  occurred  under  it,"  says  Rhodes,  "every  surrender 
of  a  claimed  fugitive,  did  more  than  the  Abolitionists  had  ever  done  to  convert 
northern  people  to  some  part,  at  least,  of  abolitionist  beliefs.  Senator  Seward,  in 
a  senate  debate  .  .  .  had  made  a  casual  allusion  to  'a  higher  law  than  the  Con- 
stitution,' and  the  phrase  was  caught  up.  To  obstruct,  resist,  frustrate,  the  execu- 
tion of  the  statute,  came  to  be  looked  upon  by  many  people  as  a  duty  dictated  by 
the  'higher  law'  of  moral  right.  Legislatures  were  moved  to  enact  obstructive  'per- 
sonal liberty  laws ;'  and  quiet  citizens  were  moved  to  riotous  acts.  Active  undertak- 
ings to  encourage  and  assist  the  escape  of  slaves  from  southern  states  were  set  on 
foot,  and  a  remarkable  organization  of  helping  hands  was  formed,  in  what  took 
the  name  of  the  'Underground  Railroad,'  to  secrete  them  and  pass  them  on  to  the 
safe  shelter  of  Canadian  law.  The  slaveholders  lost  thousands  of  their  servants 
for  every  one  that  the  law  restored  to  their  hands. 

"UNCLE  TOM'S  CABIN" 

"The  story  of  'Uncle  Tom's  Cabin',  by  Mrs.  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe,  may  fairly 
be  counted  among  the  products  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law,  and  no  other  book  ever 
produced  an  extraordinary  effect  so  quickly  on  the  public  mind.  In  book  form  it 
was  published  in  March,  1852,  and  it  was  read  everywhere  in  civilized  countries 
within  the  next  two  or  three  years.  Its  picture  of  slavery  was  stamped  ineffaceably 
on  the  thought  of  the  whole  world  and  the  institution  was  arraigned  upon  it,  for 
a  more  impressive  judgment  than  Christendom  had  ever  pronounced  before.  That 
the  picture  was  not  a  true  one  of  the  general  and  common  circumstances  of  southern 
slavery,  but  that  the  incidents  put  together  in  the  story  were  all  possible,  has 
been  proved  beyond  doubt." 

The  story  of  Uncle  Tom  "created  the  overwhelming  impression  that  it  did," 
says  Von  Hoist,  "because  its  fiction  was  an  entire  truth.  .  .  .  The  abomin- 
ations of  which  an  account  is  given  in  'Uncle  Tom's  Cabin'  might  all  have  been 
committed  against  the  slaves,  under  the  protection  of  the  law.  .  .  .  That  the 
laws  sanctioned  such  abominations,  and  that  it  was  sufficient  to  turn  over  the  ad- 
vertisement leaves  of  one  of  the  great  Southern  newspapers  for  any  year,  in  order 
to  collect  the  original  material  from  which  such  a  story  could  be  spun,  was  enough 
to  brand  the  system,  and  to  make  the  'peculiar  institution'  as  an  institution,  appear 
as  a  curse  and  as  a  frightful  blot  upon  the  civilization  of  the  nineteenth  century."  8 

It  was  not  pretended,  even  by  the  most  extreme  abolitionists,  that  the  story  was 
a  picture  of  the  life  to  which  the  great  mass  of  the  slaves  was  condemned.  But  that 
it  was  an  actual  picture  of  what  was  possible,  and  even  of  what  often  happened, 
convinced  the  northern  people  to  an  increased  degree  of  the  evil  and  vicious  tend- 
encies of  human  slavery.  "In  this  sense,  the  fiction  was  full  of  truth,  and  this  is 
what  its  readers  found  in  it.  And  this  it  was  that,  in  a  short  time,  gave  the  book 

'Rhodes:  History  United  States,  I,   185 — Fugitive  Slave  Act,  Sec.  6. 
8  Von  Hoist:   IV,  p.  238;  Ibid.,  p.  239. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  409 

a  circulation,  on  both  sides  of  the  ocean,  almost  without  a  parallel  in  the  history 
of  the  literature  of  any  people." 

THE   BLACK    CODE    OF   ILLINOIS 

There  was  a  series  of  acts  which,  taken  together,  are  often  referred  to  as  the 
"Black  Laws  of  Illinois,"  or  the  "Black  Code  of  Illinois."  The  earliest  was  a  set 
of  laws  passed  by  the  Indiana  Territorial  Assemblies  of  1805  and  1807,  the  gov- 
ernmental form  under  which  the  Illinois  country  was  at  that  time  administered, 
legalizing  the  holding  of  negroes  and  mulattoes  in  a  form  of  service  which  was  in 
effect  nearly  the  same  as  slavery.  These  were  called  "Indenture  Laws,"  and  pro- 
viding, as  they  did,  for  "voluntary"  servitude,  which  was  in  practice  never  volun- 
tary, it  was  argued  that  the  Ordinance  of  1787  permitted  it.9  As  the  French  in- 
habitants of  Kaskaskia  and  neighboring  villages  had  enjoyed  the  right  to  hold 
slaves  under  the  Virginia  government,  previous  to  its  cession  of  the  Northwest  ter- 
ritory to  the  general  government  in  1784,  it  was  generally  held  that  they  could  re- 
tain their  slaves.  But  other  settlers  claimed  the  same  right.  As  one  illiterate  mem- 
ber said  a  few  years  later  in  the  Legislature,  whose  name,  strange  to  say,  was  John 
Grammer,  "Having  rights  on  my  side,  I  don't  fear,  sir.  I  will  show  that  ar  propo- 
sition is  unconstitutionable,  inlegal,  and  forninst  the  compact.  Don't  every  one 
know,  or  leastwise  had  ought  to  know,  that  the  Congress  that  sot  at  Vincennes  gar- 
nisheed  to  the  old  French  inhabitants  the  right  to  their  niggers,  and  haint  I  got  as 
much  rights  as  any  Frenchman  in  this  state?  Answer  me  that,  sir."10 

Though  the  state  constitution  had  prohibited  slavery,  the  slave  holding  party, 
in  1822,  says  a  writer  in  the  "Historical  Encyclopaedia  of  Illinois,"  "began  to  agi- 
tate the  question  of  so  amending  the  organic  law  as  to  make  Illinois  a  slave  state. 
To  effect  such  a  change  the  calling  of  a  convention  was  necessary,  and,  for  eighteen 
months,  the  struggle  between  'conventionists'  and  their  opponents  was  bitter  and 
fierce.  The  question  was  submitted  to  a  popular  vote  on  August  2d,  1824,  the  re- 
sult of  the  count  showing  4972  votes  for  such  convention,  and  6640  against.  This 
decisive  result  settled  the  question  of  slaveholding  in  Illinois  for  all  future  time, 
though  the  existence  of  slavery  in  the  state  continued  to  be  recognized  by  the 
national  census  until  1840."  The  defeat  of  the  convention  which  would  have 
amended  the  state  constitution,  so  that  slavery  would  have  been  legalized,  "marked 
an  era  in  the  life  of  the  state  and  the  nation,"  says  Miss  Lottie  E.  Jones,  in  her 
work,  "Decisive  Dates  in  Illinois  History." 

"Through  all  the  various  laws  passed  by  the  state  legislature,"  says  Andreas, 
"had  run  a  peculiar  code  which  precluded  the  residence  of  free  negroes  in  the  state, 
except  under  conditions  little  better  than  those  of  actual  slavery.  They  were  in- 
competent witnesses  in  any  case  where  a  white  man  was  the  plaintiff  or  defendant, 
and  except  that  they  could  show  free  papers  were  subject  to  arrest,  and  imprison- 
ment, and,  after  due  advertisement,  no  master  appearing,  the  negro  so  arrested 
was  sold  by  auction  for  the  costs  of  his  arrest.  The  sale  thus  made  placed  him 
under  as  absolute  control  of  his  new  master  as  though  he  had  been  a  born  slave 
in  the  South.  The  same  penalties  were  provided  for  insubordination  or  other  of- 

!l  Harris:  Negro  Servitude  in  Illinois,  p.  7. 
10  Fergus:    Historical  Series,  No.  13,  p.  n. 


410  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

fenses,  including  that  of  running  away,  as   for  slaves;  and  throughout  the  code; 
'slaves'  and  'servants'  (colored)  were  subject  to  the  same  penalties  and  restrictions." 

But  even  before  the  final  repeal  of  the  "Black  Laws"  a  decision  of  the  Illinois 
Supreme  Court  had  largely  rendered  them  nugatory  in  effect.  In  1845,  the  Su- 
preme Court  decided  a  case  involving  the  validity  of  the  law  regarding  indentured 
servants  and  the  descendants  of  slaves  of  the  old  French  settlers.  In  a  suit  known 
as  "Jarrot  vs.  Jarrot,"  a  so-called  French  slave,  sued  his  mistress,  Julia  Jarrot 
of  Cahokia,  for  pay  for  his  past  services.  The  Court  declared  that  "a  colored  per- 
son may  maintain  an  action  of  assumpsit  for  services  rendered,  and  in  such  action 
his  right  to  freedom  may  be  tried:"  u  and  further  that  "the  descendants  of  the 
slaves  of  the  old  French  settlers,  born  since  the  Ordinance  of  1787,  and  before  or 
since  the  adoption  of  the  constitution  of  Illinois,  cannot  be  held  in  slavery  in  this 
state." 

.  This  decision  was  based  almost  entirely  upon  the  previous  judgments  of  the 
Supreme  Courts  of  other  states  to  the  effect  that  "residence  in  a  free  territory, 
where  the  master  voluntarily  settled  with  his  slaves,  entitled  such  negro  servants  to 
their  freedom."  12 

"The  effect  of  this  decision,"  says  Professor  Harris,  "was  most  fortunate  for 
the  negro.  It  not  only  admitted  him  to  the  right  to  sue  (for  his  freedom)  in  the 
courts,  but  it  practically  rendered  the  holding  of  any  negro  indentured  servants 
within  the  state  illegal.  For  if  Illinois  was  a  free  state,  and  if  residence  within  her 
boundaries,  when  voluntary  on  the  master's  part,  entitled  a  slave  to  his  freedom,  it 
would  then  be  impossible  for  any  citizen  of  the  state  to  hold  an  indentured  negro 
for  any  length  of  time  in  his  service.  Such  at  least  was  the  interpretation  which 
both  the  press  and  people  of  the  state  put  upon  the  judgment  in  this  case  of  Jarrot 
vs.  Jarrot,  and  it  was  welcomed  as  a  great  triumph  by  all  anti-slavery  men."  13 

SALE    OF   A    NEGRO    IN    CHICAGO 

A  negro  was  sold  at  public  auction  in  Chicago  in  the  year  1842,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances related  below.  The  sale  was  made  some  years  before  the  Fugitive  Slave 
Law  was  enacted,  under  authority  of  the  so-called  "Black  Laws  of  Illinois." 

One  Edwin  Heathcock,  a  colored  man,  said  to  have  been  industrious  and  well- 
behaved,  and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  was  working  in  a  field  on  the 
North  Branch  of  the  Chicago  river,  having  hired  out  as  a  laborer.  While  so  em- 
ployed a  quarrel  arose  between  himself  and  a  fellow  workman,  which  resulted  in 
the  arrest  of  the  colored  man  on  the  ground  of  being  in  Illinois  without  free  pa- 
pers or  having  given  bonds.  The  man  was  brought  before  Justice  L.  C.  Kercheval, 
who  committed  him  to  jail.  He  was  put  in  charge  of  Sheriff  Samuel  J.  Lowe,  in 
the  jail  on  the  northwest  corner  of  the  court-house  square. 

Heathcock  was  then  advertised  for  sale  in  the  Chicago  Democrat  for  six  weeks, 
with  the  usual  cut  of  a  runaway  negro,  bare-headed  and  a  bundle  over  his  shoulder 
on  a  stick.  The  day  of  the  sale  was  to  be  Monday,  November  14th,  if  no  master 
appeared  to  claim  him.  On  Saturday  night  preceding  the  sale,  Zebina  Eastman, 

11  Harris:    Negro  Servitude  in  Illinois,  p.  117. 

12  Ibid.,  p.  118. 
"Ibid.,  p.  118. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  411 

who  was  then  publishing  the  new  anti-slavery  paper,  the  Western  Citizen,  met 
Calvin  De  Wolf,  a  young  law  student,  and  proposed  to  him  a  plan  of  giving  greater 
publicity  to  the  proposed  sale,  in  order  to  bring  home  to  the  people  of  a  free  com- 
munity the  full  nature  of  such  a  scandalous  proceeding. 

Together  they  went  to  the  printing  office  of  the  former,  where  Mr.  Eastman  set 
up  in  type  a  handbill  headed  "A  Man  for  Sale,"  giving  the  date  and  place  of  the 
Monday  morning  sale,  and  inviting  the  citizens  of  Chicago  to  be  present.  De  Wolf 
stood  behind  the  press  and  "rolled"  while  Eastman  "pulled."  Having  finished  this 
the  two  men  went  out  and  attached  them  to  the  board  fence  that  surrounded  the 
court-house  square,  where  the  people  could  see  them  as  they  passed  to  and  from  the 
churches  on  the  following  day.  On  Monday  a  crowd  gathered  in  front  of  the  jail 
and  Sheriff  Lowe  appeared  with  the  man  whom  the  law  required  him  to  offer  for 
sale. 

The  sheriff  placed  the  man  near  him  and  announced  that  he  was  to  be  sold  "to 
pay  the  expenses  of  his  imprisonment."  There  were  people  enough  present  to  have 
aroused  a  lively  competition  in  making  bids,  if  they  had  been  so  disposed;  but  in 
response  to  the  sheriff's  announcement  and  request  for  bids  there  was  only  an 
ominous  silence.  The  sheriff,  seeing  the  temper  of  the  crowd,  felt  called  upon  to 
explain  that  he  was  only  the  agent  of  the  law,  and  that  as  the  man  had  been  com- 
mitted and  had  not  proved  his  freedom,  neither  had  any  master  proved  that  he 
was  a  slave,  the  law  required  him  to  sell  the  negro  to  pay  expenses.  Still  no  bids 
were  received.  Again  the  sheriff  addressed  the  people:  "Here  is  an  able-bodied 
man;  I  am  required  to  sell  him  for  a  term  of  service,  for  the  best  price  I  can  get 
for  him,  to  pay  his  jail  fees.  How  much  am  I  bid?"  No  responses  were  made, 
and  the  sheriff  continued:  "Gentlemen,  this  is  not  a  pleasant  job.  Don't  blame  me, 
but  the  law;  I  am  compelled  to  do  it.  If  I  can  get  no  bids  for  this  man  I  must  re- 
turn him  to  jail,  and  continue  the  sale  at  another  time." 

Finally  the  threat  of  putting  the  poor  man  back  into  jail  prevailed  so  far  that 
a  voice  was  raised  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  "I  bid  twenty-five  cents." 
This  bid  came  from  Mahlon  D.  Ogden,  a  younger  brother  of  William  B.  Ogden, 
Chicago's  first  mayor.  Appeals  were  made  in  the  usual  manner  for  an  increased 
bid.  "Do  I  hear  no  more,"  said  the  auctioneer,  "only  twenty-five  cents  for  this 
able  bodied  man; — only  a  quarter?"  But  no  further  bid  was  made,  and  the  man 
was  declared  "sold  to  Mahlon  D.  Ogden  for  twenty-five  cents."  Mr.  Ogden  took 
out  a  silver  quarter  from  his  pocket  and  handed  it  to  the  sheriff,  in  presence  of  the 
crowd,  and  then  called  to  the  man  whom  he  had  bought:  "Edwin,  I  have  bought 
you,  I  have  given  a  quarter  for  you,  you  are  my  man — my  slave !  Now,  you  go 
where  you  please."  This  brought  a  cheer  from  the  crowd  and  Heathcock  walked 
forth  once  more  a  free  man.  Eastman  says  in  regard  to  this  episode,  "I  believe 
it  was  the  only  slave  sale  that  ever  took  place  in  Chicago." 

The  foregoing  account  has  been  condensed  from  a  much  longer  one  related  by 
Andreas,  and  covers  all  the  material  portions  of  the  occurrence.  The  "Black  Code 
of  Illinois"  more  fully  described  elsewhere,  actually  remained  on  the  statute  books 
until  February  7th,  1865,  when  all  the  acts  which  composed  it  were  swept  away  at 
once  by  an  act  which  closed  with  the  words,  "the  same  are  hereby  repealed."  This 
final  act  marked  the  end  of  those  iniquitous  laws,  and  Eastman,  who  had  thus  lived 
to  see  the  full  fruition  of  his  early  hopes  and  life-long  struggles,  commented  upon 


412  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

it  in  these  glowing  words:  "This  is  one  of  the  immutable  laws,  that  stand  for- 
ever !  Every  pigeon-hole  of  the  legal  archives  was  ransacked,  and  every  taint  of 
color  in  our  laws  searched  out  and  buried  forever." 

EFFECTS    OF    THE    FUGITIVE    SLAVE    LAW    IN    THE    NORTH 

The  passage  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  was  supposed  by  Henry  Clay  and  others 
to  settle  for  all  time  the  controversy  which  had  raged  so  long  about  slavery.  But 
a  warning  voice  was  raised  in  the  Senate  by  John  P.  Hale  of  New  Hampshire,  who 
said:  "And  now  gentlemen  flatter  themselves  that  they  have  done  a  great  deed  for 
the  peace  of  the  country.  .  .  .  Sir,  let  not  gentlemen  deceive  themselves. 
There  was  a  time  when  a  set  of  men  cried  'Peace,  peace,  but  there  was 
no  peace'.  .  .  .  No,  Sir,  that  peace  will  be  short,  and  that  rejoicing  will  most 
assuredly  be  turned  into  mourning.  Gentlemen  altogether  mistake  the  character  of 
the  people  whose  sentiments  have  been  violated,  whose  wishes  have  been  disre- 
garded, and  whose  interests  have  been  trampled  in  the  dust."  As  Von  Hoist,  com- 
menting on  Hale's  speech,  says:  "Here  was  the  text  for  the  history  of  the  next  ten 
years,  the  last  years  of  this  Union."  14 

The  sentiment  of  the  people  of  the  West  was  expressed  by  Hon.  George  W. 
Julian,  representative  from  Indiana  in  Congress,  at  that  time.  Addressing  the 
southern  members  he  said:  "You  hold  three  millions  of  your  fellow  beings  as  chat- 
tels. You  deny  them  the  principle  of  eternal  justice,  a  fair  day's  wages  for  a  fair 
day's  work.  The  free  states  will  observe  faithfully  the  compromises  of  the  Con- 
stitution; they  will  give  up  their  soil  as  a  hunting  ground  for  the  slave  holders. 
But  they  will  not  actively  co-operate  against  the  unhappy  victim  of  the  tyranny. 
And  if  southern  gentlemen  mean  to  insist  upon  such  active  co-operation  on  our  part 
as  a  condition  of  their  continuing  in  the  Union,  they  may  as  well,  in  my  opinion, 
begin  to  look  about  them  for  some  way  of  getting  out  of  it  on  the  best  terms  they 
can." 

THE    ANTI-SLAVERY    SENTIMENT    IN    CHICAGO 

The  sentiment  against  slavery  was  strong  in  Chicago,  and  the  ascendancy  of  the 
Democratic  party  declined  to  the  vanishing  point  within  two  years  after  the  passage 
of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law.  Zebina  Eastman  had  identified  himself  with  the  anti- 
slavery  party  some  vears  before,  and  had  become  a  powerful  factor  in  leading  the 
sentiment  against  slavery.  The  Western  Citizen  was  established  by  him  in  1842. 
"Its  call  for  freedom,"  says  Professor  N.  D.  Harris,  "was  ever  clear,  strong,  ef- 
fective. There  was  nothing  radical  or  fanatical  in  the  conduct  of  the  paper."  The 
policy  of  the  new  "Liberty  party"  was  defined  in  the  opening  issue.  "We  wish  to 
save  this  Nation,"  was  its  language,  "from  the  evils  and  curse  of  slavery,  and  from 
the  political  degeneracy  which  has  fallen  upon  us  through  the  influence  of  a  de- 
parture from  the  first  principles  of  liberty." 

At  first,  the  cause  espoused  by  Eastman  and  his  fellow  workers  was  an  un- 
popular one,  though  gaining  adherents  as  long  as  he  continued  the  publication  of 
his  paper,  which  lasted  until  1853.  When  the  obnoxious  Fugitive  Slave  Law  was 
enacted  the  Western  Citizen  said  in  its  issue  of  October  1 4th,  1850:  "We  have  the 

14  Von  Hoist:   Constitutional  History  of  United  States,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  562. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  413 

same  work  before  us  that  we  marked  out  in  1848.  Slavery  is  to  be  excluded  from 
the  Territories  by  law,  it  is  to  be  abolished  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  the  fugitive 
law  is  to  be  repealed,  and  the  influence  of  the  slave  party  as  such  is  to  be  abolished." 
A  "Liberty  Association"  was  formed  by  the  colored  people  of  Chicago  "for  the 
dissemination  of  the  principles  of  human  freedom,"  and  all  colored  freedmen,  then 
resident  in  the  city,  were  urged  to  unite  upon  this  subject,  and  join  the  association. 
The  Chicago  Journal  in  reporting  the  proceedings  of  the  meeting,  which  was  held 
in  the  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  on  Wells  street,  said  that  "there  were 
over  three  hundred  at  this  meeting,  which  was  characterized  by  a  degree  of  pru- 
dence and  deliberation  no  less  remarkable  than  commendable." 

FUGITIVE   SLAVES   IN    CHICAGO 

An  incident  which  gave  evidence  of  the  popular  feeling  is  mentioned  by  the  West- 
ern Citizen.  "On  Tuesday  last,  October  15th,  Mr.  Uriah  Hindi,  of  Missouri,  ap- 
peared in  the  city  in  pursuit  of  several  fugitives.  Being  himself  a  volunteer,  and 
not  personally  acquainted  with  the  persons  he  sought,  he  brought  with  him  as  an 
assistant,  a  trusty  slave  to  aid  him  in  the  arrest  and  identification.  He  displayed 
his  handbills  describing  the  three  colored  persons,  and  sought  for  them  openly. 
As  soon  as  this  was  known  he  was  waited  on  by  some  of  our  respectable  citizens, 
and  kindly  informed  that  he  was  employed  in  an  enterprise  full  of  personal  risk.  In 
the  meantime,  the  colored  assistant  found  an  opportunity  to  board  a  steamer  in  the 
harbor  and  to  sail  away  to  the  Queen's  dominions.  Mr.  Hindi  heard  of  this  fact, 
and  also  received  an  intimation  that  a  coat  of  tar  and  feathers  was  preparing  for 
him.  In  alarm  he  applied  to  Justice  Lowe  for  protection,  but  was  told  that  noth- 
ing could  be  done.  An  anti-slavery  lawyer  recommended  immediate  flight  as  the 
safest  course."  The  complete  discomfiture  of  Mr.  Uriah  Hindi,  a  name  which  re- 
minds one  of  Dickens'  "Uriah  Heap,"  also  a  personage  of  unpopular  traits,  was  thus 
accomplished,  and  he  left  Chicago  never  to  return. 

THE   UNDERGROUND   RAILROAD 

"I  believe,"  said  Zebina  Eastman,  "I  sent  the  first  passenger  on  the  Underground 
Railroad  to  Chicago,  but  he  had  to  go  through  Chicago,  not  alone  into  it  to  get  to 
freedom."  Mr.  Eastman  further  relates  that,  in  the  fall  of  1839,  he  was  living  in  the 
little  town  of  Lowell,  in  La  Salle  county,  and  that  on  a  very  cold  morning  in  Octo- 
ber a  farmer  came  to  him  saying  that  he  had  met  a  strange  person  down  on  the 
river  bank,  who,  upon  his  approach,  aimed  a  gun  at  him  with  a  warning  to  keep 
back,  and  that  he  believed  he  was  a  fugitive  of  some  kind,  perhaps  a  runaway  slave. 

Mr.  Eastman  asked  the  farmer  to  go  back,  and  if  he  was  a  black  man,  to  tell 
him  he  was  among  friends,  and  bring  him  up  with  him.  The  farmer  soon  returned 
with  the  stranger  who,  as  he  suspected,  was  a  half-terrified  negro,  clad  in  rags  and 
skins,  and  armed  with  an  old  shot-gun.  Other  neighbors  gathered  about,  and  the 
poor  negro,  becoming  reassured,  was  given  food  and  plans  made  for  his  safety  and 
to  aid  him  in  his  escape;  for,  though  he  would  not  admit  it,  he  was  regarded  as  a 
runaway  slave. 

He  was  concealed  in  a  barn  and  soon  opened  his  heart  and  disclosed  a  story 
of  sufferings  and  wrongs,  and  of  his  final  escape  from  an  Alabama  plantation.  He 


414  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

knew  that  his  destination  must  be  Canada,  but  could  only  grope  his  way  in  a  north- 
erly direction. 

The  next  night  the  farmer  who  had  given  him  shelter  took  him  to  the  next  near- 
est station  on  what  became  the  great  "Underground  Railroad,"  and  which  later  had 
so  many  branches  centering  in  Chicago.  They  reached  Ottawa,  and  thence  each 
night  some  sympathizing  person  would  convey  the  fugitive  to  a  station  farther  on 
his  road.  In  this  way  he  was  given  shelter  and  food  at  Plainfield,  at  Cass,  at  Lyons, 
and  finally  at  Chicago,  where  he  was  placed  in  the  care  of  Dr.  Dyer.  After  caring 
for  him  a  little  while,  the  good  doctor  thought  it  advisable  to  give  him  a  chance  to 
see  Canada  and  placed  him  on  board  the  steamer  'Illinois,'  in  command  of  Captain 
Blake,  with  a  secret  intimation,  no  doubt,  to  the  captain  as  to  the  character  of  his 
passenger.  After  being  well  on  his  way,  the  captain  made  a  tour  through  the  vessel 
and  professed  great  surprise  at  finding  a  negro  among  the  fireman,  and  made  awful 
threats  in  consequence.  The  difficulty  of  landing  the  poor  fellow  on  Canadian  shores 
made  this  dissimulation  necessary,  for  among  the  passengers  were  some  Southerners 
who  would  observe  the  captain's  disposition  of  the  negro. 

The  captain  then  announced  his  determination  to  "kick  him  off  the  boat  at  the 
first  port  he  came  to."  So  coming  into  the  Detroit  river,  he  made  a  grand  circuit, 
as  if  to  show  off  bis  fine  boat  to  the  admiring  Southerners  on  board,  and  ran  it  into  a 
port  on  the  Canada  shore,  where  he  had  no  passengers  to  leave,  but  where  he  furi- 
ously dragged  the  negro  from  the  lower  regions  and  energetically  "kicked  him  off" 
to  freedom. 

THE   VAST   NUMBERS   OF   RUNAWAY   SLAVES 

Meantime  the  losses  to  the  South  by  the  escape  of  slaves  to  free  territory  were 
severe,  and  increased  the  irritation  between  the  sections.  A  member  of  Congress,  in 
1850,  said  in  a  speech  on  the  subject,  that  "the  extent  of  the  loss  to  the  South  may 
be  understood  from  the  fact  that  the  number  of  runaway  slaves  now  in  the  North 
is  stated  as  being  thirty  thousand,  and  worth,  at  present  prices,  a  little  short  of  fif- 
teen millions  of  dollars.  ...  It  was  stated  in  the  newspapers  the  other  day 
that  a  few  counties  in  Maryland  had,  by  the  efforts  of  the  abolitionists,  within  six 
months,  upon  computation,  lost  one  hundred  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  slaves.  A 
gentleman  of  the  highest  standing  from  Delaware  assured  me  the  other  day,  that 
that  little  state  lost  each  year  at  least  that  value  of  such  property  in  the  same  way." 

The  route  of  the  fugitives,  of  course,  terminated  in  Canada,  because  only  there 
were  the  fugitives  perfectly  safe  from  their  pursuers.  In  a  footnote  to  Von  Hoist's 
"Constitutional  History,"  volume  III,  page  552;  he  says:  "The  names  of  the  'sta- 
tions' [on  the  'Underground  Railroad'],  and  those  in  charge  of  them,  were  known 
only  to  those  concerned,  but  the  slave  who  was  near  enough  to  a  fort  or  to  the  bor- 
der of  a  free  state  to  have  the  possibility  of  escape,  and  who  had  the  courage  for 
the  venture,  could  always  learn  the  addresses.  He  could  rely  absolutely  upon  the 
devotion  and  secrecy  of  the  agents.  The  fugitives  and  their  helpers  often  showed 
an  ingenuity  and  daring  bordering  on  the  marvelous.  The  time  will  yet  come  when, 
even  in  the  South,  due  recognition  will  be  given  to  the  touching  unselfishness,  sim- 
ple magnanimity,  and  glowing  love  of  freedom  of  these  'law-breakers  on  principle,' 
who  were  for  the  most  part  people,  without  name,  money  or  higher  education." 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  415 

GROWTH    OF    THE    ANTI-SLAVERY    SENTIMENT 

The  people  of  Chicago  were  greatly  stirred  when  they  came  to  realize  the  full 
significance  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  of  September  18th,  1850.  In  an  address  read 
before  the  Chicago  Historical  Society  by  the  late  Charles  W.  Mann,  January  29th, 
1903.  a  spirited  account  is  given  of  the  manner  in  which  the  Chicago  Common 
Council  took  action,  condemning  the  law  and  passing  resolutions  which  are  note- 
worthy as  an  expression  of  the  prevailing  sentiment  on  the  subject.  There  were 
nine  wards  at  that  time,  each  ward  having  two  aldermen. 

At  the  Council  meeting,  Monday  night,  October  21st,  1850,  Alderman  Amos  G. 
Throop  offered  a  set  of  resolutions  which  began,  in  the  preamble,  by  asserting  that 
"the  late  act  of  Congress  purporting  to  be  for  the  recovery  of  fugitive  slaves  virtu- 
ally suspends  the  right  of  habeas  corpus  and  abolishes  trial  by  jury,"  that  the  act 
"violates  the  provisions  of  the  Constitution,"  and  that  "the  laws  of  God  should  be 
held  paramount  to  all  human  compacts  and  statutes."  With  this  preliminary  state- 
ment the  resolutions  declare  that  "the  Senators  and  Representatives  in  Congress 
from  the  free  states  who  aided  and  assisted  in  the  passage  of  this  infamous  law 
merit  the  reproach  of  all  lovers  of  freedom;  and  are  only  to  be  ranked 
with  the  traitors  Benedict  Arnold  and  Judas  Iscariot;"  and  that  "the  fugitive  slave 
law  ...  is  a  cruel  and  unjust  law,  and  ought  not  to  be  respected  by  an  in- 
telligent community,  and  that  the  Council  will  not  require  the  police  to  render  any 
assistance  for  the  arrest  of  fugitive  slaves." 

These  resolutions  were  adopted  by  a  vote  of  nine  to  two.  "Thus  the  question," 
says  Mr.  Mann,  "was  placed  before  the  public  for  discussion,  and  the  response  came 
quickly."  The  Democrat,  in  its  issue  the  next  day,  announced  that  a  mass  meeting 
would  be  held  that  evening  at  the  City  Hall  "to  give  an  expression  of  public  feel- 
ing in  opposition  to  the  abominable  and  infamous  fugitive  slave  law."  At  an  early 
hour  on  Tuesday  evening,  the  City  Hall  was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity.  Officers 
of  the  meeting  were  Thomas  Richmond,  president;  Alexander  Loyd,  Luther  Marsh, 
Dr.  Eriel  McArthur,  Eri  B.  Hurlbut,  Richard  K.  Swift,  and  James  M.  Morrison, 
vice  presidents;  A.  G.  Throop,  Carlos  Haven,  Mr.  McArthur,  secretaries.  The 
committee  was  composed  of  George  Manierre,  Robert  H.  Foss,  Charles  Walker, 
Nathan  H.  Bolles,  N.  Norton,  George  A.  Ingalls,  L.  C.  Paine  Freer,  Dr.  B.  Mc- 
Vickar,  and  Isaac  N.  Arnold.  These  are  names  familiar  to  many  old  Chicago  resi- 
dents, and  are  fairly  representative  of  the  influential  element  of  that  day. 

MEETING    OF    CITIZENS    OPPOSED    TO    SLAVERY 

George  Manierre,  the  chairman  of  the  committee,  presented  the  resolutions, 
which  were  in  the  same  spirit  as  those  passed  by  the  Common  Council  the  evening 
before.  They  began  by  declaring  the  fugitive  slave  law  unconstitutional  and  void, 
"first,  because  Congress  has  no  power  under  the  Constitution  to  legislate  on  the 
subject,  that  the  clause  under  which  the  power  is  claimed  contains  no  grant  of  the 
power  of  legislation  and  is  simply  a  prohibition  on  the  states  whereby  they  are  for- 
bidden to  discharge  fugitives  from  labor  by  any  law  or  regulation  by  them  enacted ; 
and,  secondly,  because  it  is  in  express  violation  of  the  fundamental  rights  of  trial 
by  jury,  suspends  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  and  abolishes  the  right  of  appeal  from 
the  decision  of  an  inferior  court."  Further  it  was  declared  that  "we  recognize  no 


416  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

obligation  of  a  moral  or  legal  value  resting  on  us  as  citizens  to  assist  or  countenance 
the  execution  of  this  law;"  that  such  laws  are  an  "attempt  to  impose  infamous  duties 
on  conscientious  citizens  and  compel  them  to  do  the  devil's  work  under,  the  guise  of 
constitutional  obligation." 

The  resolutions  in  the  strong  language  above  quoted  were  followed  by  others 
equally  pointed  and  direct.  "Resolved,"  they  continue,  "that  we  are  summoned  to 
withstand  the  execution  of  this  law  not  only  by  the  consideration  of  the  claims  of 
our  suffering  fellow  men  upon  our  sympathies  and  aid,  but  by  a  proper  regard  for 
our  personal  liberties ;  as  this  law  is  no  respecter  of  persons  or  complexions,  making 
no  distinctions  between  whites  and  blacks,  bond  or  free.  That  we,  as  the  friends 
of  universal  liberty,  are  admonished  of  the  necessity  of  repeated  and  continuous 
agitation  on  the  great  subject  of  human  slavery  while  a  free  speech  and  a  free  press 
are  yet  ours.  .  .  That  the  portion  of  our  citizens  who  have  escaped  from  bond- 
age by  their  own  act  have  become  free  men ;  that  all  laws  seeking  to  hold  them  in 
chains  or  renew  their  captivity  are  founded  in  force  and  contempt  of  natural  rights, 
and  are  not  binding  upon  them,  because  they  are  not  party  to  them;  and  that  by 
the  laws  of  nature,  and  that  higher  law  enthroned  above  the  Constitution,  the  law 
of  God,  they  would  be  justified  in  using  all  means  which  may  be  necessary  to  their 
personal  security  on  free  soil — that  resistance  to  tyrants  is  obedience  to  God." 

The  reading  of  the  resolutions  was  interrupted  by  frequent  cheers,  and  the 
outburst  of  enthusiasm  showed  the  sympathy  of  the  audience.  James  H.  Collins,  a 
lawyer  of  Chicago  and  a  man  of  strong  anti-slavery  opinions,  made  a  speech  in 
which  "he  affirmed  that  the  law  suspended  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  and  trial  by 
jury,  and  was  especially  infamous  as  it  required  every  freeman  to  track  the  fugi- 
tives. Mr.  Collins  closed  by  defying  the  law  and  trampling  a  copy  of  it  under  his 
feet,  to  the  delight  and  admiring  cheers  of  his  hearers." 

ENTRANCE    OF    DOUGLAS    ON     THE    SCENE 

Senator  Douglas  was  present  at  the  meeting,  but  it  seems  his  presence  was  not 
noticed  until  after  the  reading  of  the  resolutions,  as  he  had  come  in  late.  It  may 
well  be  imagined  that  he  was  not  pleased  with  the  course  which  public  sentiment 
was  taking,  having  himself  supported  the  obnoxious  bill  in  its  passage  through  Con- 
gress. As  soon  as  he  was  observed  there  were  loud  calls  for  him,  in  response  to 
which  he  said,  "that  he  had  not  intended  to  make  any  speeches  while  in  Chicago, 
but  that  he  could  not  pass  over  the  personal  charges  made  in  the  Council  resolu- 
tions on  Monday  evening,  and  invited  all  interested  to  attend  a  meeting  at  the  City 
Hall  Wednesday,  October  23d,  when  he  would  explain  the  nature  of-  the  law  and 
his  reasons  for  voting  in  favor  of  it." 

The  men  of  that  generation  were  alive  to  the  importance  and  significance  of  pub- 
lic measures  and  public  questions,  to  a  degree  little  realized  in  these  times  of  a 
calmer  flow  in  the  affairs  of  the  state  and  nation.  It  is  well  for  us  that  the  men  of 
former  times  so  resolutely  grappled  with  the  issues  presented  to  them,  and,  through 
seasons  of  seemingly  endless  debates,  followed  by  turmoil  and  strife,  arrived  upon 
the  firm  ground  of  settled  questions  and  accomplished  results.  But  in  following 
the  changes  of  sentiment,  as  one  leader  or  another  becomes  prominent  and  influen- 
tial in  guiding  the  course  of  public  opinion,  we  are  obliged  to  lament  the  fickleness 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  417 

and  vacillation  of  men  who  are  usually  intelligent  and  whose  patriotism  is  unques- 
tioned. 

SENATOR    DOUGLAS    CAUSES    A    TEMPORARY    REVERSAL    OF    SENTIMENT 

The  following  is  quoted  from  the  pamphlet  published  by  the  Chicago  Historical 
Society,  containing  Mr.  Charles  W.  Mann's  address  before  that  society,  in  1903. 

"The  City  Hall  was  crowded  to  its  doors  Wednesday  evening,  October  23d,  upon 
the  occasion  of  Senator  Douglas'  speech  in  defense  of  the  fugitive  slave  bill. 
Douglas'  popularity  was  at  its  height.  He  had  succeeded  in  passing  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  bill,  from  which  much  was  hoped  and  more  to  be  realized.  Doug- 
las was  elected  to  the  Senate  at  the  age  of  thirty-three,  and  was  now  thirty-seven 
years  old.  The  genius  and  ability  of  Douglas  expanded  under  opposition.  He  gloried 
in  a  fight;  and  of  all  his  triumphs  it  seems  to  me  that  none  is  greater  than  that  of 
Wednesday,  October  23d,  1850.  There  was  not  the  slightest  evidence  of  weakness 
or  of  yielding  in  his  speech.  His  logic,  good-humor,  sarcasm,  and  powers  of  persua- 
sion never  appeared  stronger  than  at  this  time.  He  spoke  for  three  hours  and  a 
half,  and  apparently  convinced  his  audience,  for  they  passed  without  a  dissenting 
vote  a  series  of  resolutions  drawn  up  by  his  own  hand.  Time  will  not  permit  more 
than  a  summary  of  the  points  of  his  argument.  'Congress,  after  a  protracted  ses- 
sion of  nearly  two  months,  succeeded  in  passing  a  system  of  measures,  which  are 
believed  to  be  just  to  all  parts  of  the  republic,  and  ought  to  be  satisfactory  to  the 
people.  But  the  people  in  both  sections  of  the  Union  are  called  upon  to  resist  the 
laws  of  the  land  and  the  authority  of  the  Federal  Government  even  unto  death  and 
disunion.'  Referring  to  the  resolutions  of  the  Council,  Senator  Douglas  said:  'I 
make  no  criticism  upon  the  language  in  which  they  are  expressed:  that  is  a  matter 
of  taste,  and  in  everything  of  that  kind  I  defer  to  the  superior  refinement  of  our 
City  Fathers.  But  it  cannot  be  disguised  that  the  polite  epithets  of  "traitors  Bene- 
dict Arnold  and  Judas  Iscariot,  who  betrayed  his  Lord  and  master  for  thirty  pieces 
of  silver"  will  be  understood  abroad,  as  having  direct  personal  application  to  my  es- 
teemed colleague,  General  Shields,  and  myself.  The  personal  bearing  of  the  reso- 
lutions is  unimportant.  It  is  a  far  more  important  and  serious  matter  when  viewed 
with  reference  to  the  principles  involved  and  the  consequences  which  may  result. 

THE  COUNCIL'S  ACTION  SARCASTICALLY  REVIEWED 

"The  Common  Council  of  Chicago  have  assumed  to  themselves,"  continued  the 
Senator,  "the  right  and  have  actually  exercised  the  power  of  determining  the  va- 
lidity of  an  act  of  Congress,  and  have  declared  it  null  and  void,  upon  the  ground 
that  it  violates  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  and  the  laws  of  God.  They 
have  gone  further:  they_  declared  by  a  solemn  official  act,  that  a  law  passed  by  Con- 
gress 'ought  not  to  be  respected  by  any  intelligent  community'  and  have  called  upon 
the  'citizens,  officers,  and  police  of  the  city'  to  abstain  from  rendering  any  aid  or 
assistance  in  its  execution.  What  is  this  but  naked,  unmitigated  nullification?  An 
act  of  the  American  Congress  nullified  by  the  Common  Council  of  the  City  of  Chi- 
cago! Whence  did  the  Council  derive  their  authority?  I  have  been  able  to  find 
no  such  provision  in  the  city  charter  nor  am  I  aware  that  the  Legislature  of  Illinois 
is  vested  with  any  rightful  power  to  confer  such  authority.  I  have  yet  to  learn 


418  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

that  a  subordinate  municipal  corporation  is  licensed  to  raise  the  standard  of  rebel- 
lion, and  throw  off  the  authority  of  the  Federal  Government  at  pleasure. 

"This  is  a  great  improvement  upon  South  Carolina  nullification.  It  dispenses 
with  the  trouble,  delay  and  expense  of  convening  Legislatures  and  assembling  con- 
ventions of  the  people,  for  the  purpose  of  resolving  themselves  back  into  their  orig- 
inal elements,  preparatory  to  the  contemplated  revolution.  It  has  the  high  merit 
of  marching  directly  to  its  object,  and  by  a  simple  resolution,  written  and  adopted 
on  the  same  night,  relieving  the  people  from  their  oaths  and  allegiance,  and  putting 
the  nation  and  its  laws  at  defiance.  It  has  heretofore  been  supposed,  by  men  of 
antiquated  notions  who  have  not  kept  up  with  the  progress  of  the  age,  that  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  was  invested  with  the  power  of  determining 
the  validity  of  an  act  of  Congress  passed  in  pursuance  of  the  forms  of  the  Consti- 
tution. This  was  the  doctrine  of  the  entire  North,  and  of  the  nation,  when  it  be- 
came necessary  to  exert  the  whole  power  of  the  Government  to  put  down  nullifica- 
tion in  another  portion  of  the  Union.  But  the  spirit  of  the  age  is  progressive,  and 
is  by  no  means  confined  to  advancement  in  the  arts  and  physical  science.  The  sci- 
ence of  politics  and  of  government  is  also  rapidly  advancing  to  maturity  and  per- 
fection. 

"It  is  not  long  since  that  I  heard  an  eminent  lawyer  propose  an  important  re- 
form in  the  admirable  judicial  system  of  the  State,  which  he  thought  would  ren- 
der it  perfect.  It  is  so  simple  and  eminently  practicable,  that  it  could  not  fail  to 
excite  the  admiration  of  even  the  casual  inquirer.  His  proposition  was  that  our 
judicial  system  should  be  so  improved  as  to  allow  an  appeal  on  all  constitutional 
questions,  from  the  Supreme  Court  of  this  state  to  two  Justices  of  the  Peace. 
When  that  shall  have  been  effected  but  one  other  reform  will  be  necessary  to  ren- 
der our  national  system  perfect;  and  that  is,  to  change  the  Federal  Constitution  so 
as  to  authorize  an  appeal,  upon  all  questions  touching  the  validity  of  acts  of  Con- 
gress, from  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  to  the  Common  Council  of  the 
City  of  Chicago." 

DOUGLAS'  REVIEW  OF  THE  FUGITIVE  SLAVE  LAW 

The  Senator  then  discussed  the  grounds  of  objection  to  the  law  as  presented  in 
the  resolutions  of  the  Council.  "The  objections  to  the  law,"  said  he,  "are  two  in 
number;  that  it  suspends  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  in  time  of  peace,  in  violation  of 
the  Constitution;  and  that  it  abolishes  the  right  of  trial  by  jury.  How  did  the 
Council  find  that  these  two  provisions  were  contained  in  the  law?  The  law  itself 
does  not  mention  either  subject.  Is  it  to  be  said  that  an  act  of  Congress,  which  is 
silent  on  the  subject,  ought  to  be  construed  to  repeal  a  great  constitutional  right  by 
implication?  Besides,  this  act  is  only  amendatory  to  the  act  of  1793.  Both  are  si- 
lent upon  these  subjects. 

"If  this  Construction  is  correct,  then  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  has  been  sus- 
pended and  the  trial  by  jury  abolished  for  more  than  half  a  century  without  any- 
body discovering  it."  At  this  point  some  one  in  the  audience  asked  what  construc- 
tion was  to  be  put  upon  the  clause  whereby  the  certificate  of  the  commissioner  "shall 
prevent  all  molestation  of  said  person  or  persons  by  any  process  issued  by  any 
court,  judge,  magistrate,  or  other  person  whatsoever."  Mr.  Douglas  replied  that 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  419 

the  law  was  intended  "to  determine  whether  the  claimant  had  a  certificate  in  due 
form,  but  did  not  touch  the  vital  question  of  freedom." 

"The  new  act  neither  takes  away  nor  confers  the  right  of  trial  by  jury.  That 
right,"  said  Senator  Douglas,  "exists  in  this  country  for  all  men,  black  and  white, 
bond  or  free,  guilty  or  innocent.  The  only  question  is  when  shall  this  jury  trial 
take  place?  The  jury  trial  is  always  had  in  the  state  from  which  the  fugitive  fled. 
There  is  great  uniformity  in  the  mode  of  proceeding  in  the  courts  of  the  Southern 
states.  There  the  question  of  freedom  or  servitude  is  tried  by  a  jury,  and  every 
facility  is  offered  to  the  negro  to  prove  his  case.  The  law  of  1793  was  passed  by 
the  patriots  and  sages  who  formed  the  Constitution.  I  have  always  been  taught  to 
believe  that  they  were  well  versed  in  the  science  of  government,  devotedly  attached 
to  the  cause  of  freedom,  and  capable  of  construing  the  Constitution  in  the  spirit 
in  which  they  made  it." 

THE    SENATOR'S  SKILL  IN    ANSWERING   AWKWARD   QUESTIONS 

The  attention  of  Mr.  Douglas  was  called  to  the  penalties  under  the  new  law. 

"The  two  laws  are  substantially  the  same,"  he  replied.  "I  can  conceive  of  no 
act  which  would  be  an  offense  under  the  one  that  would  not  be  punishable  under  the 
other.  The  only  difference  between  the  old  law  and  the  new  is  in  the  amount  of 
the  penalty,  not  in  the  principle  involved." 

A  gentleman  present  desired  an  explanation  of  the  object  and  effect  of  the  rec- 
ord from  another  state  provided  by  the  tenth  section. 

"I  am  glad,"  said  Mr.  Douglas,  "that  my  attention  has  been  called  to  that  sec- 
tion. It  was  said  last  night  that  this  provision  authorizes  the  claimant  to  go  before 
a  court  of  record  of  the  county  and  state  where  he  lives,  and  there  establish,  by 
ex  parte  testimony,  in  the  absence  of  the  fugitive,  the  facts  of  ownership,  servitude, 
and  escape;  and  when  a  record  of  these  facts  shall  have  been  made,  containing  a 
minute  description  of  the  slave,  it  shall  be  conclusive  evidence  against  a  person  cor- 
responding to  that  description,  arrested  in  another  state,  and  shall  consign  the  per- 
son so  arrested  to  perpetual  servitude.  The  law  contemplates  no  such  thing  and 
authorizes  no  such  results.  The  record  is  conclusive  of  two  facts  only: 

"First,  That  the  person  named  in  this  record  does  owe  service  to  the  persons  in 
whose  behalf  the  record  is  made. 

"Second,  That  such  person  has  escaped  from  service. 

"The  question  of  identity  is  to  be  proven  here  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  commis- 
sioner or  judge  before  whom  the  trial  is  had  by  other  and  further  evidence.  This 
is  the  great  point  in  the  case ;  the  whole  question  turns  upon  it.  All  proceedings 
for  the  arrest  of  fugitives  are  necessarily  ex  parte  from  the  nature  of  the  case.  It 
is  no  answer  to  say  that  slavery  is  no  crime,  and  therefore  the  parallel  between  the 
fugitive  slave  and  the  fugitive  from  justice  does  not  hold  good. 

"I  am  not  speaking  of  the  guilt  or  innocence  of  slavery;  I  am  discussing  our 
obligations  under  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States.  We  are  obliged  by  our 
oaths  to  see  every  provision  of  the  Constitution  carried  into  effect.  We  have  no 
right  to  interpose  our  individual  opinions  and  scruples  as  excuses  for  violating  the 
supreme  law  of  the  land  as  the  Fathers  made  it.  Will  any  gentleman  point  out  the 
provision  in  the  old  law  for  securing  and  vindicating  the  rights  of  the  free  man, 
'th.at  is  not  secured  to  him  in  the  act  of  the  last  session?" 


420  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

OTHER    QUESTIONS    ANSWERED 

•  Some  one  in  the  audience  called  attention  to  the  provision  for  paying  the  ex- 
pense of  returning  the  fugitive  out  of  the  United  States  Treasury.  "Ah,  it  i«  a 
question  of  dollars  and  cents,"  replied  the  Senator.  "I  was  discussing  the  question 
of  human  rights.  Is  it  possible  that  this  momentous  question,  which  only  forty- 
eight  hours  ago  was  deemed  of  sufficient  importance  to  authorize  the  City  Council 
to  nullify  an  act  of  Congress,  and  raise  the  standard  of  rebellion,  has  dwindled  down 
to  a  petty  dispute  as  to  who  shall  pay  the  costs  of  the  suit?  This  is  too  grave  a 
question  for  me  to  discuss  on  this  occasion.  I  confess  my  utter  inability  to  do  it. 

"Yesterday  the  Constitution  of  the  ocean-bound  republic  had  been  overthrown; 
the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  suspended;  trial  by  jury  abolished;  pains  and  penalties 
imposed  upon  every  humane  citizen  who  should  feed  the  hungry  and  clothe  the 
naked;  the  law  of  God  had  been  outraged  by  a  Congress  of  traitors,  and  the  stand- 
ard of  rebellion,  raised  by  our  City  Fathers,  was  floating  in  the  breeze,  calling  on 
all  good  citizens  to  rally  under  its  sacred  folds  and  resist  with  fire  and  sword, — the 
payment  of  costs  of  suit  upon  the  arrest  of  a  fugitive  from  labor !" 

Another  person  then  asked  why  a  new  law  was  passed  if  the  old  one  was  so  much 
like  it,  and  why  the  slave-holders  voted  for  the  new  law  rather  than  to  retain  the 
old  one,  if  the  new  law  was  more  favorable  to  freedom.  Mr.  Douglas  replied  to 
this  by  referring  to  a  decision  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court  declaring  that 
the  old  law  had  become  inoperative,  and  that  the  judges  of  the  United  States  courts 
were  the  only  officers  who  could  execute  the  law.  This  reference  was  to  a  decision 
of  Justice  Story  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court,  in  the  case  of  a  runaway  slave 
arrested  in  Pennsylvania,  in  1837,  to  the  effect  that  the  law  of  1793,  the  "old  law," 
was  not  sufficiently  explicit;  and  the  law  had  therefore  become  practically  "inop- 
erative," as  Douglas  said.  A  new  law  was  necessary  to  enforce  the  provisions  of 
the  Constitution  and  protect  the  free  blacks.  , 

Mr.  Douglas  said  he  could  answer  the  second  question  with  a  great  deal  of 
pleasure.  The  Southern  members  voted  for  the  new  law  because  it  was  a  better 
law.  "They  are  as  anxious  to  protect  the  rights  of  the  free  black  men  as  we  are. 
The  real  objection  is  not  to  the  new  law,  nor  to  the  old  one,  but  to  the  Constitution 
itself.  Those  of  you  who  hold  these  opinions  do  not  mean  that  the  fugitive  shall 
be  taken  back.  This  is  the  real  point  of  your  objections.  You  would  not  care 
a  farthing  about  the  new  law,  the  old  law,  or  any  other  law,  or  what  provisions  it 
contained,  if  there  was  a  hole  in  it  big  enougli  for  the  fugitive  to  slip  through  and 
escape.  The  whole  catalogue  of  objections  would  be  moonshine  if  the  negro  was 
not  required  to  go  back  to  his  master.  Frankly,  is  not  this  the  true  character  of 
your  objections?"  Upon  a  general  answer  in  the  affirmative,  Senator  Douglas  read 
the  clause  in  the  Constitution  as  follows : 

"No  person  held  to  service  or  labor  in  one  state,  under  the  laws  thereof,  escap- 
ing into  another,  shall,  in  consequence  of  any  law  or  regulation  therein,  be  discharged 
from  such  service  or  labor,  but  shall  be  delivered  up  on  claim  of  the  party  to  whom 
such  service  or  labor  may  be  due." 

"This  is  the  supreme  law  of  the  land  speaking  to  every  citizen.  The  command 
is  imperative.  So  long  as  we  live  under  the  Constitution  and  claim  its  protection. 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  421 

we  cannot  avoid  it.  We  must  stand  by  the  Constitution  with  all  its  compromises, 
or  we  must  abolish  it  and  resolve  each  state  back  into  its  original  elements.  It  is 
therefore  a  question  of  union  or  disunion.  Are  we  prepared  to  execute  faithfully 
and  honestly  the  compact  our  fathers  have  made  for  us?  For  my  part,  I  am  pre- 
pared to  preserve  inviolate  the  Constitution  as  it  is  with  all  its  compromises ;  to 
stand  or  fall  by  the  American  Union,  clinging  with  the  tenacity  of  life  to  all  its 
glorious  memories  of  the  past  and  precious  hopes  for  the  future." 

RESOLUTIONS    OFFERED     BY    DOUGLAS    ADOPTED 

The  audience  was  completely  swayed  and  won  over  to  the  views  of  Mr.  Douglas 
in  this  "the  ablest  speech  of  his  life,"  and  when  he  presented  a  set  of  resolutions, 
which  he  had  prepared  in  advance,  they  were  adopted  without  a  dissenting  voice. 
These  resolutions  were  as  follows: 

"Resolved,  That  it  is  the  duty  of  every  friend  of  the  Union  to  maintain,  and 
preserve  inviolate,  every  provision  of  our  Federal  Constitution. 

"Resolved,  That  any  law  enacted  by  Congress,  in  pursuance  of  the  Constitu- 
tion, should  be  respected  as  such  by  all  good  and  law-abiding  citizens,  and  should 
be  faithfully  carried  into  effect  by  the  officers  charged  with  its  execution. 

"Resolved,  That  so  long  as  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  provides  that 
all  persons  held  to  service  or  labor  in  one  state,  escaping  into  another  state,  'shall 
be  delivered  up  on  the  claim  of  the  party  to  whom  the  service  of  labor  may  be 
due,'  and  so  long  as  the  members  of  Congress  are  required  to  take  an  oath  to  sup- 
port the  Constitution,  it  is  their  solemn  and  religious  duty  to  pass  all  laws  neces- 
sary to  carry  that  provision  of  the  Constitution  into  effect. 

"Resolved,  That  if  we  desire  to  preserve  the  Union,  and  render  our  great  re- 
public inseparable  and  perpetual,  we  must  perform  all  our  obligations  under  the 
Constitution,  at  the  same  time  that  we  call  upon  our  brethren  in  other  states  to 
yield  implicit  obedience  to  it. 

"Resolved,  That  as  the  lives,  property  and  safety  of  ourselves  and  our  fam- 
ilies depend  upon  the  observance  and  protection  of  the  laws,  every  effort  to  excite 
any  portion  of  our  population  to  make  resistance  to  the  due  execution  of  the  laws  of 
the  land,  should  be  promptly  and  emphatically  condemned  by  every  citizen. 

"Resolved,  That  we  will  stand  or  fall  by  the  American  Union  and  its  Consti- 
tution, with  all  its  compromises,  with  all  its  glorious  memories  of  the  past,  and 
precious  hope  of  the  future." 

An  additional  resolution  was  offered  by  Buckner  S.  Morris,  and  also  adopted: 

"Resolved,  That  we,  the  people  of  Chicago,  repudiate  the  resolutions  passed 
by  the  Common  Council  of  Chicago  upon  the  subject  of  the  fugitive  slave  law  passed 
by  Congress  at  its  last  session." 

In  the  next  issue  of  the  Chicago  Journal  the  following  comments  were  made 
on  the  speech:  "Senator  Douglas  said  last  night  that  the  fugitive  slave  law  did 
not  abolish  trial  by  jury,  did  not  suspend  habeas  corpus,  was  no  worse  than  the 
old  law,  in  fact  was  rather  a  protection  to  the  slave  than  otherwise.  We  have  no 


422  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

doubt,  he  was  sincere  in  his  opinions,  but  if  the  people  have  been  so  deceived  in  the 
reading  of  the  law,  it  is  ample  time  they  were  enlightened.  The  law  may  be  all 
right  enough  if  the  people  could  only  comprehend  it,  but  with  all  the  light  that 
has  been  thrown  upon  it,  we  still  confess  to  an  obtuseness.  If  this  law  is  what  its 
champion  claimed  for  it  last  night,  it  is  due  to  the  country  that  it  should  have  been 
made  as  clear  to  the  minds  of  the  people  as  it  was  to  his  own.  We  are  by  no  means 
convinced  that  it  is  any  the  less  infamous  in  its  provisions  and  its  spirit." 

THE    COUNCIL    TAKES    FURTHER    ACTION 

But  the  Common  Council  were  not  so  easily  quelled  by  the  mighty  Douglas.  An 
adjourned  meeting  was  held  Thursday,  October  24,  for  further  action  on  the  reso- 
lutions of  the  21st. 

Alderman  Dodge  moved  to  reconsider  the  vote  at  the  last  meeting  on  the  passage 
of  the  preamble  and  resolutions  regarding  the  fugitive  slave  law.  Alderman  Ham- 
ilton offered  the  following  order,  and  moved  to  lay  it  on  the  table  for  further  action : 

"Ordered,  That  the  Clerk  be  directed  and  requested  to  expunge  from  the  rec- 
ords of  the  Council  the  preamble  and  resolutions  adopted  at  the  late  meeting  of 
the  Council  on  the  evening  of  the  21st,  in  reference  to  the  act  of  Congress  passed 
at  its  late  session,  commonly  known  as  the  fugitive  slave  law."  This  order  was 
tabled  until  November  29th,  and  is  the  action  of  the  Council  which  Senator  Doug- 
las construed  as  a  repudiation  of  the  resolutions  of  October  21st. 

THE  GREATEST  MEETING   OF  THE   WEEK 

Public  interest  was  now  raised  to  a  high  pitch,  and  the  largest  meeting  of  this 
eventful  week  was.  held  on  Friday  evening,  October  25th,  "to  express  opinions  con- 
cerning the  fugitive  slave  law  and  to  hear  arguments  in  opposition  to  those  ex- 
pressed by  Senator  Douglas." 

The  first  speaker,  James  H.  Collins,  confined  himself  to  the  two  points  of  trial 
by  jury  and  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus.  He  said  in  part:  "The  new  law  contains 
an  expression  more  comprehensive  and  inclusive  than  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus — 
the  summary  process.  By  the  law  the  claimant  cannot  be  molested  by  any  pro- 
cess. The  provisions  are  very  explicit  and  cannot  be  mistaken  or  misconstrued. 
The  bill  provides  for  a  summary  trial,  and  a  summary  trial  always  means  a  trial 
without  jury.  The  commissioner  is  the  sole  judge  in  the  case,  and  from  his  de- 
cision, however  corrupt  it  may  be,  or  however  based  on  false  affidavits,  there  is  no 
appeal." 

The  principal  speaker  of  the  evening  was  Edmund  Channing  Lamed,  a  promi- 
nent lawyer  of  the  city.  He  spoke  for  over  an  hour  in  direct  answer  to  the  argu- 
ments of  Senator  Douglas,  and  to  the  great  delight  of  the  audience.  Referring  to 
Douglas,  he  said: 

"One  high  in  the  councils  of  the  nation  says  that  it  is  the  duty  of  every  citizen 
who  respects  the  Constitution  to  aid  in  carrying  out  and  enforcing  the  fugitive 
slave  law — a  law  which  I  do  not  hesitate  to  declare  the  most  infamous  ever  passed 
by  the  representatives  of  a  free  people.  I  cannot  give  my  aid  and  sanction  to  that 
law,  and  I  stand  here  not  as  a  partisan  and  a  politician,  but  as  an  American  citi- 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  423 

zen  speaking  to  an  assembly  of  his  fellow  citizens  to  give  the  reasons  why  I  con- 
demn that  law  and  refuse  to  give  any  aid  to  its  enforcement.  I  am  no  friend  of 
violence.  I  am  no  disorganizer  or  advocate  of  mob  law. 

"A  law  passed  to  carry  out  a  constitutional  provision  is  not  therefore  consti- 
tutional. I  respect  the  compact  our  fathers  made.  I  acknowledge  the  force  of  its 
compromises,  and  am  willing  to  carry  them  out  in  the  letter  and  spirit.  Whenever 
a  proper  and  constitutional  law  shall  be  passed  by  Congress,  I  shall  be  obliged, 
much  as  I  deplore  slavery  in  our  midst,  to  give  such  a  law  my  unequivocal  sanc- 
tion and  support.  I  am  not  contending  against  the  Constitution,  but  against  this 
law.  The  section  of  the  Constitution  upon  which  this  law  is  based  was  made  neces- 
sary, because,  by  the  common  law  of  England,  a  slave  would  have  been  free  the 
moment  he  entered  a  free  state.  This  section  gave  the  owner  a  standing  in  court. 
He  was  permitted  to  establish  on  free  soil  and  among  free  men  the  ownership  of 
a  human  being,  and  empowered  to  take  him  away. 

"The  compact  which  our  fathers  made  and  to  which  we  are  held  is  this:  That 
they  would  pass  no  law  discharging  the  slave  from  his  servitude,  and  that  when 
the  right  of  a  claimant  had  been  made  out  by  competent  evidence  and  in  a  legal 
manner,  the  slave  shall  be  delivered  up  to  his  master. 

"The  Senator  says  that  the  right  of  trial  by  jury  is  not  taken  away  because  the 
act  does  not  say  one  word  about  it.  The  act  takes  it  away  because  it  provides  an- 
other and  different  mode  of  trial— a  summary  trial  is  not  a  jury  trial. 

"The  Senator  says  that  the  right  of  trial  is  given  by  the  Constitution,  and  can- 
not be  taken  away  by  implication,  therefore  there  is  a  trial  by  jury  under  this 
act; 

"What  is  that  trial  by  jury?  A  right  to  try  the  question  of  identity.  A 
blessed  boon  to  freedom.  Is  that  the  point  to  be  tried  ?  The  question  is  not  whether 
Tom  Jones  is  Tom  Jones,  but  whether  Tom  Jones  is  a  slave.  It  is  the  question 
of  slavery  or  freedom  that  we  want  tried.  Senator  Douglas  compared  this  act  with 
that  referring  to  fugitives  from  justice. 

"A  fugitive  from  justice  is  arrested  and  delivered  up  to  whom — a  hungry  credi- 
tor, a  vindictive  foe,  or  an  interested  slave  holder?  No.  Into  the  hands  of  the  law. 
Into  the  keeping  of  the  officers  of  the  law  until  he  is  presented  to  the  grand  jury, 
indicted,  arraigned,  and  tried  according  to  the  law  of  the  land.  Are  there  any 
such  proceedings  under  this  law?  No.  The  action  of  the  commissioner  is  final; 
he  adjudges  the  accused  to  be  a  slave,  pronounces  the  sentence,  inflicts  the  doom, 
turns  him  over  to  his  master,  and  the  matter  is  ended  finally  and  forever.  Is  this 
the  law?  Is  this  justice?  Is  this  the  Constitution?  God  forbid  that  any  man  should 
so  disgrace  and  blacken  the  names  and  memories  of  that  glorious  old  band  of  heroes 
and  patriots. 

"The  writ  of  habeas  corpus  can  be  used  only  to  determine  whether  the  certificate 
granted  by  the  commissioner  is  legal  in  form.  Is  this  all  that  the  writ  of  habeas 
corpus  amounts  to?  Was  it  for  such  a  miserable  technicality  as  this  that  our  fathers 
for  long  ages  contended  ?  Did  they  mean  that  the  writ  should  only  give  powe.r  to 
look  at  the  seal  and  signatures  of  a  Star  Chamber  Court?  It  is  a  mockery  to  talk 
about  this  being  a  privilege  of  habeas  corpus. 

"But  Mr.  Douglas  said  that  this  law  is  no  more  than  the  law  of  1793.  He  tells 
you  that  this  bill  is  better  than  the  law  of  1793.  Why,  gentlemen,  when  the  hon- 


424  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

orable  senator  was  upon  this  part  of  the  argument  I  began  to  doubt  if  I  should 
not  go  home  and  thank  God  for  the  great  blessing  vouchsafed  us  in  this  new  fugi- 
tive slave  law.  Yet  in  the  sixty  years  in  which  this  law  has  been  in  force  our  col- 
ored brethren  have  been  pursuing  their  vocations  in  tranquillity  and  contentment. 
Now  they  are  fleeing  to  Canada  as  fast  as  wind  and  steam  can  carry  them.  From 
East  to  West  there  has  come  one  indignant  burst  of  feeling. 

"Now,  did  you  ever  see  such  stupid  people,  such  a  nation  of  fools  and  block- 
heads? Do  they  not  see,  can  they  not  understand,  that  this  is  Senator  Douglas' 
improved  slave  bill,  that  it  is  a  great  deal  better  than  the  old  one,  that  it  is  not 
different  from  the  old  one,  and  has  got  new  securities,  designed  specially  for  the 
benefit  of  fugitive  slaves? 

"Why  did  the  South  want  a  new  fugitive  slave  bill?  Because  the  old  law  was 
defective.  It  did  not  provide  sufficient  securities  for  the  poor  fugitives. 

"The  law  of  1793  was  not  objected  to:  First,  because  it  allowed  the  judge  to 
try  the  case  judicially  and  not  ministerially.  Then  it  was  inoperative.  Had  it 
not  been  so,  it  would  have  created  excitement  similar  to  that  caused  by  the  present 
bill. 

"Why  should  we  be  asked  to  give  the  institution  of  slavery  peculiar  privileges? 
Let  the  proper  law  be  passed,  giving  the  alleged  fugitive  all  the  safeguards  and 
immunities  provided  by  the  common  law,  and  I,  for  one  will  give  it  my  conscien- 
tious and  honest  sanction  and  support." 

A  series  of  resolutions  milder  in  tone  than  those  adopted  Tuesday  evening  were 
then  prepared.  Great  excitement  prevailed.  Men  were  standing  on  chairs  in 
various  parts  of  the  house,  endeavoring  to  catch  the  eye  of  the  chairman.  The 
resolutions  were  put  to  vote  and  declared  to  be  adopted  amid  great  confusion.  The 
meeting  broke  up  without  a  regular  motion  to  adjourn. 

Another  meeting  was  held  Saturday  evening  to  give  expression  to  the  other  side 
of  the  question.  The  speeches  were  political  and  in  praise  of  Senator  Douglas.  The 
meeting  gradually  dissolved  without  adjournment. 

THE     COUNCIL     MEETING     FIVE    WEEKS    LATER 

Thus  ended  the  most  exciting  week  in  the  early  history  of  Chicago.  The  sen- 
timent of  the  people  was  not  materially  changed  by  the  speeches  of  Senator  Doug- 
las and  his  friends,  though  their  advice  upon  the  observance  of  law  and  order  was 
followed.  The  feeling  that  "Resistance  to  tyrants  is  obedience  to  God"  was  shown 
in  one  or  two  cases  early  in  November,  when  Southern  men  came  to  Chicago  in 
search  of  fugitives.  People  thought  less  of  resistance,  except  in  particular  cases, 
and  more  of  unceasing  agitation  for  the  repeal  of  the  law  and  the  exclusion  of 
slavery  from  the  Territories.  The  closing  scene  of  the  drama  was  thus  announced 
in  the  Journal,  Friday,  November  29: 

"The  City  Fathers  meet  tonight,  as  we  learn,  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  final 
disposition  of  the  fugitive  slave  law.  It  is  to  be  presumed  that  they  will  com- 
municate the  result  to  Congress,  either  by  telegraph  or  express,  as  it  would  be 
calamitous  for  the  wheels  of  government  to  stand  still." 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS  425 

The  Council  minutes  for  November  29,  1S50,  read  as  follows: 

"The  Council  met  pursuant  to  adjournment.  The  object  of  the  meeting  was 
to  consider  the  fugitive  slave  resolutions.  The  order  offered  by  Alderman  Hamil- 
ton, to  expunge  from  the  records  resolutions  which  had  been  tabled  by  his  motion, 
October  24,  together  with  the  substitute  offered  by  Alderman  Dodge  for  the  original 
preamble  and  resolutions  were  then  taken  up  and  the  question  in  order  being  the 
adoption,  Alderman  Dodge's  substitute  was  approved  by  the  following  vote: 

"Ayes — Adams,  Milliken,  Loyd,  Sherwood,  Richards,  Throop,  Haines,  Sher- 
man, Foss,  Dodge  and  Foster. 

"Nays — Page,  Williams  and  Hamilton. 

These  substituted  resolutions  read: 

"Whereas,  The  fugitive  slave  law  recently  passed  by  Congress  is  revolting  to 
our  moral  sense  and  an  outrage  upon  our  feelings  of  justice  and  humanity,  because 
it  disregards  all  the  securities  which  the  Constitution  and  laws  have  thrown  around 
personal  liberty,  and  its  direct  tendency  is  to  alienate  the  people  from  their  love 
and  reverence  for  the  government  and  institutions  of  our  country.  Therefore 

"Resolved,  That  as  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  has  solemnly  ad- 
judged that  state  officers  are  under  no  obligations  to  fulfil  duties  imposed  upon 
them  as  such  officers  by  an  act  of  Congress,  we  do  not,  therefore,  consider  it  our 
duty  to  counsel  the  city  officers  of  the  city  of  Chicago,  to  aid  or  assist  in  the  arrest 
of  fugitives  from  oppression,  and  by  withholding  such  aid  or  assistance  we  do  not 
believe  that  our  harbor  appropriations  will  be  withheld,  our  railroads  injured,  or 
our  commerce  destroyed,  or  that  treason  could  be  committed  against  the  Govern- 
ment." 

Alderman  Hamilton  introduced  the  following  order: 

"Ordered,  That  the  clerk  be  directed  and  requested  to  expunge  from  the  rec- 
ords of  the  proceedings  of  the  said  Council  the  resolutions  in  reference  to  the  act 
of  Congress  at  its  last  session,  commonly  known  as  the  fugitive  slave  act."  This 
order  was  lost  by  a  vote  of  nine  to  three,  and  thus  the  Common  Council  stood  by  its 
earlier  action  by  refusing  to  expunge  the  resolutions  of  October  2 1st  from  its 
records,  and  passing  others  reiterating  its  sentiments. 

REVIEW    OF    EVENTS 

The   following  brief  summary   of  the  events  just  narrated   will   be  of   interest: 

September  18th,  ISSO.     Passage  by  Congress  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law. 

October  21st,  (Monday).  The  Common  Council  of  Chicago  passes  resolutions 
denouncing  the  law. 

October  22d,  (Tuesday).     Mass  meeting  of  citizens  strongly  condemning  the  law. 

October  23d,  (Wednesday).  Senator  Douglas  addresses  a  meeting  of  citizens, 
and  a  reaction  in  sentiment  takes  place.  Resolutions  are  adopted  to  support  laws 
passed  by  Congress,  and  repudiating  the  action  of  the  Council. 

October  24th,   (Thursday).     Adjourned  meeting  of  the  Council  is  held,  and  an 

Vol.  1—28 


426  CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS 

effort  made  to  expunge  the  former  resolutions  from  the  records.  The  order  is 
tabled,  to  be  taken  up  November  29th. 

October  25th,  (Friday).  Meeting  of  citizens  in  opposition  to  the  Fugitive  Slave 
Law.  Resolutions  adopted  condemning  the  law  and  refuting  Douglas'  arguments. 

October  26th,  (Saturday).  Meeting  of  the  adherents  of  Mr.  Douglas.  Speeches 
made  in  praise  of  the  senator. 

November  29th.  The  Common  Council  meets  to  consider  the  Fugitive  Slave 
Law  resolutions,  and  the  pending  order  to  expunge  them  from  the  records.  The 
Council  refuses  to  pass  the  order  to  expunge,  and  adopts  additional  resolutions 
confirming  the  former  ones. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


CHICAGO:  ITS  HISTORY  AND  ITS  BUILDERS.  A 


